A monster in the belly of the ship
by TFALokiwriter
Summary: The Jupiter 2 has a monster growing. And it should be feared.
1. Behind the cloak

"Look at my fingers, Major." Smith wiggled his fingers but two of them refused to budge during a night out searching for supplies. "They are scaly."

"Keep your hands away from me!" West said.

"If you never took me aboard that disaster of a ship," Smith lowered his hand. "I would have **HUMAN SKIN**! Human skin! Human skin, major! Had you left me in my cell then I would _only_ have to worry about growing old in space!"

His fingers slipped into a fist as he shook it.

"Look at these hands!" he flexed his fingers out revealing them all. "What they do in the foreseeable future will not be my fault. What happens next will be all your fault not mine! You should have kept me in the cell! It was your best idea!"

West punched down Smith then had his arms folded.

"Stop being a whiny baby and shut up."

"No." Smith propped himself up with a shake of his head. "Because you are required hear this before it goes on any further. And I only pity you for the future that _you_, alone, have created." Smith paused playing with his fingers, then sighed, saddened by a thought that crossed his mind then looked up toward West. "I admit, your future is worse than the one I was paid to make."

"Entertain me." West rolled his eyes.

"My mind won't be the same." Smith said, quietly, yet sadly. "Nothing will be the same. . ." he closed his eyes, briefly, then opened them. "And I won't be Doctor Smith."

West snorted, amused.

"Uh, then who will you be?" West asked. "Spider Smith?"

He only got a sinister yet bittersweet smile in return and it sent shivers down his spine.

"Yes." Smith got up to his feet using a rock then turned his back to him. "Because that is who I will be."

"And what does this make you right now?" West asked.

"Dying." Smith looked aside. "I would describe it that way. Even if you get to Alpha Prime A in the Jupiter 2's current lifetime. . . I won't be there."

"Yes, you will-"

"I will not!" Smith raised his voice turning toward the major standing toe to toe with him. "It will be a shell of me and you know that! There is no denying it!" he turned away from the major folding his arms then shook his head. "If we don't find a treatment in the next year!" he grunted at the prospect. "And we haven't."

Smith marched on ahead of West.

"Where do you think that you are going?" West asked.

"Back to my cell!" Smith said. "You think I have it rough? Well, my dear major, you shall have it rough once I start to fall apart!"

* * *

Judy stared at Smith's hand on the counter.

He tapped his fingers on the counter during the medical exam and they refused to budge.

"Do you feel your fingers?"

Smith met her gaze.

"No."

"Let's try some finger therapy."

"I have tried that."

"Then what is the problem?"

Smith grasped a hold on to his fingers then yanked them off then put them on the counter with little blood, gore, or horror. He did the same with his other hand then retreated his hands into his lap with a visible tremble as she stared it down. Smith had two holes on each part of his hand in which his fingers once belonged. He rubbed the empty holes with a lowered head. Compared to the rest of his fingers, the last two fingers were the last parts that bore human resemblance.

"Does it hurt?" Judy asked.

"No." Smith said.

"Are you lying?" Judy asked, narrowing her eyes toward Smith.

"I feel no pain, Doctor Robinson." Smith hissed.

The normally polite yet agonized man was slipping away before her eyes painfully slow and there was _nothing_ that she could do about it.

"When did you lose feeling in your fingers?" Judy asked.

"Two weeks ago." Smith asked. "May I go now?"

Judy's eyes scanned him.

"Yes."

Smith slid off the table then slowly made his way down the passageway as Judy stared down the discarded fingers.

* * *

"MOM, DOCTOR SMITH IS DAMAGING THE WALL AGAIN!" Penny hollered out the doorway.

Maureen came down the hall along with John then found Smith sliding his fingers down letting out a sigh of relief. He stood a complete inch taller than he had before their eyes. Will stared at the balding man alongside Robot. Smith turned his head away from the wall then grinned with a lack of pain in his eyes but life and happiness. A dark kind of it.

"Sweet havana."

John slid Will behind himself as Robot was left speechless.

"Judy." Maureen said, her eyes fixated on the woman across from Smith.

Smith collapsed once the hypospray was put into his neck and he was out like a feather.

* * *

"Doctor Smith stretched again, dad." Will said.

John and Don turned away from the holographic astronavigator.

"How tall is he now, Will?" John asked.

Will looked toward John and Don.

"Six foot five." Will said.

"And his legs?" John asked.

"Still look human." Will asked. "Haven't moved in the way that you say they did."

* * *

"William. . ." Smith started as he came to a stop in his tracks with a sigh.

Smith sat down on a rock overlooking hills, saddened, grimacing, very unhappy.

"Yes?" Will seated himself down beside the older man who's shoulders popped out more. "Is something the matter?"

Smith had a short lived nod then looked down toward the boy.

"Before it's too late. . ." Smith started, softly, yet gently trying then looked on toward the sun. "When the opportunity arises. Let me go."

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

Smith was silent looking toward the boy then began to have a bittersweet smile.

"You will understand one day." Smith said.

"Just not today." Will said.

"One day in the future." Smith reiterated. "When I am gone and the creature we both saw is born."

Will was silenced by the reply at first.

"Let's watch the sun set," Will said. "Just for a little while."

"Just for a little while." Smith agreed with a nod.

Robot was behind them, keeping his guard out, Smith's hands were in his lap as he lowered his gaze with a certain heaviness in the air around him. Will reached his hand out then put his hand on the older man's arm. Smith looked up toward the boy then patted on his smaller hand appreciatively, his long strange fingers wrapped around his hand, then slunk his hand back once seeing them with a grimace. Smith turned his attention on the distant sun ahead.

* * *

Soon after, the door to Smith's cell was replaced by bars.

A reminder that he was a prisoner, a animal, a monster in the making.

Not a human who had been forced to become a passenger to their voyage.

That way they could check in on him occasionally and see what was going on in his stateroom.

Robot was considered the jailer and given the duty, a duty that Robot hated, despised, among the trouble that Smith brought to the Jupiter 2.

* * *

Smith was slowly dying before his newly installed mind wave equipment.

Becoming someone more horrifying as the days waned on with empty promises by their guests and the cure dangled before his eyes time after time only for it to be destroyed before he could take it. It was beyond comprehension. He was becoming a person that Robot knew fully well. He was becoming a old monstrous alien with a tragic fate ahead of him. And Smith lost his hope of ever getting cured quickly accepting that he was destined to become a monster.

By each month that he grew taller and his body mass changed. Up until the doctor's unexpected growth spurt came to a halt. Robot screamed into a cavern, alone, on a rampage. All the while John forced Will and Smith to go rock hunting, releasing all the pain and agony. He caused the rocks to fall and the ceiling above where he had once stood to give out as he departed the area. He did this often with these moments to himself that were given to him by the professor. And a hate for the major only brewed as the dust settled.

* * *

Smith had gone quickly after the installation of the bars. It wasn't apparent to the eyes of the Robinsons but it was to certain sensors of Robot. It was only his reaction to the bars, afterwards, that it raised certain alarms. Instead of over reacting, shrinking in the corner of the bathroom, and weeping: he was laughing. The being only laughed at how he was becoming his true self.

Someone that he liked better over his powerless self.

"Are you okay, Doctor Smith?" Will asked.

"I am feeling the awesome power of **LIFE**!" Smith replied, stretching his fingers out.

His laughter echoed through the ship as Will watched on beginning to grow concerned about his friend. Concern that was only growing too late. And Robot watched, from a distance, behind the edge of a corridor wall retreated, knowingly, turning away from the duo. He was watching someone better slip into familiar persona. The person acted and talked like him, but his processor informed him that it was a false personality.

* * *

"Major, why in the heavens are you staring at me?" Smith asked, irked, in the middle of solving a problem featuring strange aliens brought up by the children.

"You've gone bald." West said.

"That I have." Smith said then watched as the major grinned.

"That looks perfect for a monster." West said.

"Don!" Judy said.

"Makes you look like what you really are." West said. "A ugly monster."

"West. . ." John said. "I like you to apologize."

"No," West said. "This comes from the heart. Not the head."

Smith stood up from the planning table, then walked away, a rare departure from his sneering reply quite silent.

"Major West," Robot said. "You're doing the infection's work breaking him down saying everything that he is thinking." West's brows furrowed. "**Out loud**." Robot's voice strained in his emphasis. "Words that he does not need to hear and _shouldn't_ hear!"

Robot wheeled away.

"He doesn't have hope." John admitted, finally. "We need to start planning for a entirely redesigned Jupiter 2."

"That isn't made of edible metal." Maureen admitted.

* * *

The monthly check up started as it had many times. Except, Smith was in a long garment that best resembled a dress on him. He wasn't in pants and a shirt with a jacket to go with it but now, it had changed. He lacked ears. He had small holes on each side of the head that stood out under the dimming lighting of med lab. Smith looked truly alien to her gaze. He looked more vulnerable than the way that he had entered the lab a month earlier.

"Has your hand healed?" Judy asked.

Smith placed his fingers on the counter.

"They're stumps, my dear doctor." Smith said.

Judy observed the flat healed over surfaces.

"Anymore pain?" Judy looked up toward him.

Smith nodded, painfully.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"My legs, my butt, my neck," Smith said. "My bones are in the worst shape."

"It's going to be okay." Judy assured.

Smith shook his head.

"It isn't. It isn't. Three years and a half. How have you not learned?" Smith shook his head then put a box on the table and she looked up. "If you like to do research, here is my buttox."

"Doctor Smith . . ." Judy started, startled. "your butt fell off?"

"Shamefully." Smith said.

"That is a little odd."

He patted on the lid then began to to have a broken grin and put it on the table beside him.

"This be the only part of me to out last me in the name of_ science_. Out last the new me for the least."

Judy looked up, momentarily recoiling, looking toward him taken back then scanned him with her eyes and gazed back up in alarm.

"What if you are embracing something who isn't _you_, Doctor Smith?" Judy asked.

"It is who I am becoming," Smith said. "To be better than the man who got trapped aboard this hell."

* * *

Smith's garments were torn when his bust widened one night and it became quickly apparent that he needed near material. Don stood, shocked, as he watched a creature - not a man - come out of the Jupiter 2 in the same outfit that he had first seen the counterpart. The way that he had entered their lives three years ago by picking up his counterpart,_ "No need to fear, Smith is here!_" He watched a monster come into his life as a shadow that loomed over the figure of the human replacing them with a sinister figure.

His goatee was no longer there. It had only been replaced by skin that outlined the shape of a goatee surrounded by metal. He watched a monster over three years outline the shape of what had been a man known by traitor, terrorist, and murderer. His threat levels increased significantly to the major. His eyes were full of acceptance, calmness, and a certain embracing that were frightening with a veiled threat in his eyes.

"Do not attack," Robot warned. "I will destroy you, Spider Smith."

"I have that under deep consideration," Replied the creature. "Pardon me. I need a nap. Somewhere cold and preferably dark to rest for several hours."

West stepped aside.

"Did he just use the space suits to make himself a new garment?" West asked.

"Affirmative," Robot grasped West by the shoulder stopping him from going after Spider. "Do not go after him. He is not worth fighting. He is stronger than you."

West watched him walk away.

"He frightens me." West said.

Robot twirled toward him.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have been dehumanizing him for the last three years!" Robot cracked. "Maybe, just maybe. It would be the OTHER WAY around!"

"Robot, like to go rock hunting?" Will asked.

"No," Robot said. "It is imperative that I go screaming in a different cave."

Robot wheeled on past Will and West.

"I didn't know he screamed in caves," West said.

Will looked on toward his friend.

"I have known that for a long time." Will said. "He will be better in a hour. And I'll walk Blarp."

* * *

The name, Spider Smith, stuck like glue.

What once started as a joke slowly turned into a name.

A name that the creature wore with pride and glee unlike how he had reacted time and time before.

That should have been West's first hint that his mind was falling apart.

But West denied it.

* * *

"Spider Smith, please undress yourself." Judy instructed.

The creature stared at Judy and Maureen with Robot beside him.

"We have to check your mutation." Maureen said. "And determine if your fabric needs more length. It's starting to look small on you."

The robes were discarded on the flood and the true horror of his body was exposed-his legs were sticking out from the side and he was hunched over to keep himself into their level as was his neck. He was having difficulty, if not pain, trying to keep himself appearing human to them. It was the smallest piece of the man that had became trapped aboard the Jupiter 2 which was remaining as of far.

And they blinked when they stepped back, terrified, horrified, and scared of him. Another large crack formed in his mind as Spider smiled, broadly. It was done in such a way that it was so Smith like but in another aspect it was sinister. And a large piece of his humanity was chipped away as he stood up to full height.

"Do not be afraid," Robot cautioned. "He does not have a egg sac."

Maureen noticed that his legs had split into two on each side and he was shoe less.

And in the most painful way possible, Maureen noticed that he had a appendage sticking out from his rear; a spider's abdomen.

* * *

It was only months later when Will, Penny, Blarp the lizard monkey, Spider Smith, and Robot went out to go on a picnic at one of the most unlikely places. Smith had fully retreated into his shell that was of a cloak. The Robinsons trying to mend the damage that Robot had pointed out painstakeningly to the Robinsons after Smith had already left, according to Robot, everything they were going to do were going to be _too late_. And it wasn't going to comfort him. It would mean nothing to the creature they had aboard.

It was by a waterfall. The children overlooked it, admiring, grinning, while the older member of the group had his back to them rubbing his hands together contemplating a devious plan. His mind was fracturing in the struggle to remain coherent. A part of him was hanging on by a thread as a new personality was developed out of the fractured mind with little attention span to the good around him as they watched fish fly out of the waves into the pool below.

"I'm hungry." Spider announced, suddenly.

Will and Penny turned toward the spider.

"We're all out of snacks," Penny said.

The dulled blue eyes caught on a moving figure then crashed forward with a 'Ah ha!'

"Oh, snacks!" He picked up a rat. "After all."

Will watched in horror as the beast ate the rat in less than five bites.

"Doctor. . . Smith, um, uh, are you full now?" Will asked.

"Exquisite." The creature picked at his teeth with his fine long fingernails. "Could have done with some pepper."

And Will's heart sank as he sensed that he was losing a fight to make him feel human: He had gone too far. He was going far ahead of in a path that Will couldn't follow him down and yank him back. He fought back the horror keeping it down as the creature turned their attention away from the teenager then walked on ahead of him toward the edge of the waterfall then tossed the small piece of fingernail that he had finely chipped off. Spider dusted his hands off then began to walk away.

_"When the opportunity arises."_ Smith's words echoed in Will's mind. _"Let me go."_

And the teenager watched him _go_ then Will tried to follow after him.

* * *

"Spider Smith, we have decided to move your quarters." John asked.

"Out of sight, out of mind." Spider said, bitterly.

"No, we just think it would be safer down there." John said.

"Engineering is twice as dangerous!" Spider protested. "One leak and I am very dead!"

"There are no windows." The professor reminded. "You get more room space. . ."

"And you get a protector of your prized fuel, is that right, in the event of someone sneaking in?"

"No." John said.

"A tasty snack in the form of a unwanted guest." Spider looked aside, licking his lips, touched by the idea. "I can accept that as payment for moving down." his gaze returned on to the younger man. "And I can do with more space. My old living quarters were too tiny and prison like." Spider shuddered. "At least . . . " the spider began to smile. "I can practice more on making spider hammocks. I will move my belongings into engineering."

John sighed as Spider turned around then walked on ahead of him and Maureen approached John.

"How did it go?" Maureen asked.

"Better than how I thought it would." John released a breathe that he hadn't released. "A lot better. I have already started the prison plan."

"Means we can start removing those bars." Maureen said.

John turned his attention toward Maureen then nodded.

* * *

Will came down the middle of the night to check on the older man with a candle. He came to the engine room then flicked a switch but the lights refused to budge. He stepped foot into the room then jumped back once a figure crashed in front of him to the floor then he raised the candle up once staggering up to his feet. The fully mutated form of Spider Smith stood out terrifyingly against the darkness as he looked on with contempt toward the newcomer. His long toe nails clacked against the floor in a way that sent Will's heart racing.

"Boo."

With a shriek, Will staggered back and began to crawl back dropping the candle.

"Oh, it is just you." Spider said. "William." He gently slid the candle and its support up on the base. "You shouldn't approach me on my night hours."

Will's back met the wall then clenched on to his shirt bracing himself.

"I was-I-I-I-I was just checking on you."

The mutated man frowned, irked.

"You don't have the habit of checking me when I am sleeping."

Will thought it over, carefully, before replying.

"Sometimes." Will admitted.

"It ends here." Spider said.

"I agree." Will said as the taller being handed him the candle.

"Go back to bed," Spider said. "Spend some time with your decent friend on the upper decks as you usually do plotting a course into a star."

"You've really lost it," Will said. "Really been space raptured."

The spider turned toward Will.

"I have only come to my senses, my dear boy." Smith said. It was for a single moment that he sounded himself, sane, hurt, agonized by every day, and haunted by the future even scared. "That is the only place we're going and you, all, are too stupid to realize the course isn't a planet. It's not a place. It's a state of being and tranquility. Much like all the other harmless planets we have been to."

"Hardly harmless!" Will replied.

"All those planets are like Earth before it was sent to its demise." Smith replied.

"Those were living death planets, Doctor Smith." Will said.

"A star isn't just the basis of survival but it is one that brings hope," Smith replied. "your hope is going to kill you BECAUSE THEEEEERREEEEEEEEE ISSSSSS NNNNOOOOO AAAALALLLLPPPPPPHHHHAAAA PRIME A!" And then he didn't sound himself.

Will slowly walked back to the doorway of the engineering bay then Spider shoved him out and the door closed before his eyes.

Spider had shut him out of his life.

* * *

The Jupiter 2 crashed on a planet in a rage of fury during one fine evening being chased by aliens.

The aliens stopped chasing them once they crashed through the atmosphere of the planet.

The family were in their seats partially out, partially awake, groaning, in a world of darkness.

"My delicate back!" Was the first noise, the first sound, that brought the Robinsons to with aching joints, cuts, bruises, and scrapes from the running.

The ship was severely damaged, the engines had exploded and destroyed most of the residential half, the Robinsons had fled into the bridge, and the door refused to budge from the explosion. West's reports were grim. But, they had everyone accounted for including the gorillas, Spider Smith, Robot, and the humans. With the members account for, each of them slouched in the chair, John stopped in the middle of his comment looking on toward the view screen.

They looked on ahead to spot that they were right outside of civilization that amassed to cities. Tears came on the edges of their eyes while Spider only studied the cities with his head downcast. The cities seemed to be made out of crystal that shined against the morning sun and reflected off nicely. The buildings were ones to admire and cherish. Yet, Spider only had a very bad feeling about this place. Something wasn't right. And he didn't know why as his eyes searched the sky spotting birds. Organic life flourished so he relaxed.

The Robinsons stared in awe at its advancement compared to Earth and life that flourished from end to end.

* * *

"We need some help with our ship." John asked, later, at a important first contact meeting after a series of misunderstandings.

The alien government (who were hosting the Robinsons) stared at the professor who was looking toward them.

"What kind of help?"

"We need material for every part of the ship. One that can't be eaten through. And a cell for a animal with a stasis mode." John said. "If you could tell us how to extract it and make it to repair any damaged. . ."

"We can provide that help." the president smiled.

"And Spider Smith's housing for the time being?" John asked.

"Leave the creature to us. " The president assured. "He has a score to settle with us. He will be unharmed."

"I am not concerned about him," John said. "I am more concerned for you."

"It will be alright," the president assured.

"When do we expect for the reconstruction to be be done?" John asked.

"In three years. We will need help in most of the reconstruction. Every little piece needs to be replaced."

"My family will help you." John said._ I won't leave them out of it, this time._

* * *

Three years came and went.

Robot was the only piece of technology that was left untouched.

And when they came across their familiar older monster; Smith was acting unlike himself.

Growls -there were little words to say - and hissing as the Robinsons cowered from behind the generated force-field.

* * *

"Robot, we are not leaving until you teach Spider Smith how to talk." John said.

"Send in the other model." Robot said.

"Robot, there is no other model!" West exclaimed.

"I do not want to be eaten alive." Robot said.

"What makes you think that Spider Smith is gonna eat you?" Will asked.

Robot was silent for the longest moment in front of the Robinsons as he shifted to and from.

"I cannot detect Doctor Smith's brain waves in that animal." Robot said, bitterly. "He left a long time ago."

"Then we will need to send a piece of equipment that he can't eat," Maureen said.

"Affirmative." Robot said.

"That is going to take a month to do," Maureen whistled. "And another month to retrain him to speak."

"Not long." John said. "We do need to test their stasis pods. Trial period is eight weeks."

"You want to leave me out there with him?" Robot asked.

"No," John said. "Will will supervise your transfer from digital to glass for their data transfer and oversee your construction for this short stint. You will be transferred back to digital."

"Gladly," Robot said. "I wouldn't want to get comfortable with that tech." Robot shuddered. "It wouldn't fit with the level of tech that the galaxies based on the technology that we have commonly found."

"The rest of this voyage; you will be the captain of a empty Jupiter 2." John said. "And we hold you to the greatest responsibility there is."

"Protecting us," West said. "This time."

"I am honored." Robot said. "I need a handkerchief."

Will handed out the handkerchief and the rambler crane model wept into it.

"I'll do it." Robot said. "Under one condition."

"State it." West said.

"That when we get to Alpha Prime A, eject Spider Smith's cell." Robot said.

The Robinsons were silent as they lowered their gaze down heaving a sigh at once.

"We will stipulate that modification to the government," John said. "We owe them a deal."

"Just for allowing them to study and put the shell of the Jupiter 2 at the aviation museum." Maureen said. "When we get to Alpha Prime A; we will be Gods."

The family burst into laughter.

* * *

"Spider Smith, this way!"

_"Slow down, child." _Were words he anticipated of hearing. "_I can only go so fast with this aching back._"

But none of that came from the being.

* * *

The spider tagged along the teenager paying little attention to his surroundings. Will noticed the change in his demeanor, little wariness now, and it broke his heart. There were little signs of the person that had became friends with over three years on the man. It was a monster. A creature. The Jupiter 2 was reconstructed out of new material that made it shine against the sun. The spider looked up in awe at the craft noticing the secondary theme was a bright orange.

_It won't be long now._ Will thought to himself. The monster stalked the boy following him into the bridge and winced inwardly of the brightness in the bridge. He turned around noticing the creature held his hands together in his lap. A familiar position. A hang over of the person that it was born from. Or, as Will wanted to believe, a tiny piece of hope that a shred of Smith was still _there_. The make of the material decorating the walls bore resemblance to crystal material rather than a ship. Maureen and West were using spray cans coating the crystals in dark gray format along the monitors.

Smith was directed by Will down into the ship, _"We need him out of sight, out of mind, son."_ His father's words echoed back at him. Words that any teenager wouldn't want to hear about leading someone they cared about down a path that was dark and foreboding. And horrible. The spider paused, studying the boy, at the doorway, his eyes glancing from the new cell then toward the boy and squinted.

"You got a new room." Will said. "And it's better than your old one. You got a bed, finally. A decent one."

Will turned toward the older man.

"_It's too late to have a bedroom. Far too late. And you know that as I do, my dear boy_." were words he still anticipated of hearing. "_The path that I have been guided down to. I can't walk back from it_."

There was none of that coming from the creature that stared in.

"Those would make a wonderful cloak." Were words that came instead.

"Doctor Smith," Will said, for once. "Where did you stay for the last three years?"

The taller creature looked down frowning upon the seventeen year old.

"None of your business, Robinson boy."

Not, "_I fear you wouldn't like hearing it, my dear boy_."

Spider strolled inside then Will pressed on a series of buttons and a forcefield stirred up behind him. For a single moment, the spider turned toward him and narrowed his eyes in such a way that for a split second, he saw Smith stare at him, heartbroken, all young, unharmed, and untouched by the wrath of the infection and their mistakes on him. Mistakes that had gone into numbers keeping their distance away from him as he mutated further. And he couldn't make up for it or apologize to him.

The heartbreak melting away as Will slid his fingers up toward the stasis mode as the dull blue eyes followed him. Perhaps, Will was projecting as he watched the man nod, as if knowing, knowing what he was going to do.

_"Do it, please." _were words that were being exchanged wordlessly._ "This is the opportunity that I told you about! Your only one!"_

The image was replaced by a scowl as the spider began to lunge forward with visible rage then Will slid in the crystal with a single press. In a flash, the creature was frozen in suspended time. Will lowered his fingers from the panel with a tremble.

"_Thank you, William._" Will turned in the source of Smith's voice and found no one there as he was fighting back tears.

"Robot? Robot? Robot?" Will asked, his voice beginning to crack. "Robot!"

What he was really calling for, what he really wanted, was to see a certain someone: human, alive and well.

Will made a run for the upper section of the ship then into the arms of his parents and wept.

* * *

West was setting in the course as the Jupiter 2 prepared to launch into space surrounded by people kept a safe distance by the security teams.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Major West?" Robot asked. "For your part in killing a man?"

"That man is a traitor." Was all West said. "He had it coming."

"He deserved being kept to his cell," Robot replied, darkly. "Not being taken out to the Proteus."

West's shoulders lowered.

"Yeah. . ." West said, lowering his gaze, as it sunk in. "It could have happened differently. A lot differently."

"We share a common agreement." Robot said.

West turned toward Robot as the family began to slide into the old fashioned freezing tubes. "On the bright side. We got a monster that can eat intruders."

Robot went to the center of the bridge then pulled a leveler.

"I do not like you and I do not believe I ever will." Robot said.

Robot sank down before West's eyes.

"See you on the other side?" West asked, looking toward Judy.

Judy laughed.

"And more." Judy said then walked into the pod.

* * *

The three Blarps were put into their specifically designed stasis pods.

A entire room devoted that was devoted to them.

They weren't quite pods, technically, in terms of design.

But, they were the same in their function and purpose.


	2. Belly of the ship

It became lonely in the silent ship.

No one to talk to waiting for the destination to arrive.

Alpha Prime A, Robot reminded, Alpha Prime A is the ball.

And the silence was bothering him as from time to time, Robot began to wish there was noise. He decided seeking out life for the planets that the Jupiter 2 orbited and kept a locked on orbit making a descent and worked on the hydroponics garden. The garden started out small and meager. The creatures that Robot faced floating in space were numerous and catalogued to be later tested and discovered by Judy in what they were and how they lived in space like the space spiders. The sounds of birds screeching around him ended the silence. Robot should have been happy.

But, he wasn't.

It still wasn't quite socializing.

The noise was nice to hear as he stayed planet side for hours at a time and recorded them.

Then later during the voyage of the systems between each one where there wouldn't be a planet for months, he would play the noise on the intercomn, from deck to deck.

* * *

A hundred years after the long trip back to the home galaxy began, Robot turned on time and the spider smacked against the force field landing to the floor with a thud then skedaddled up to their feet using the wall as their support. Robot watched the creature pace back and forth, silently, unmoving, his atomic engine allowed him to run for hundreds of hours observing the creature until it fell asleep standing with eyes open staring at him and their brainwaves indicated they were fast asleep.

He watched as the creature rested by standing then shake itself awake and glare back at him with little to say. If it had been Smith behind the barrier, he would have said something about the lines of "_Good heavens! You nearly frightened me, you thunderous nightmare! Find someone else to stare at._" Lines that would have done good for Robot and eased his concerns about the future. The lack of words and more so as a glare as his reward was the disturbing part of this ordeal.

The creature studied him with their pale blue eyes. They refused to inch, budge, or move a little for hundreds of hours. The mind was working in ways that were different. But not as similar to the man the body once belonged to determining what to do and how to get about it. Robot's atomic engine ached. It ached as if it had a leak when it did not. All of this from staring at a familiar person. A familiar person but a stranger. He had been without Will for so long that he cared little about holding a facade regarding his well being. And that was the part that hurt the most. Because there would have been hope to help his mind recover with ease.

What had happened in those last few years? Those precious and influential years to assure him that everything was going to be okay long as they banded together and protected the other. Robot remembered, fondly, to a time where he had been a secondary protector to the alternate Will Robinson when he was still being rebuilt. The Doctor relaying to him the comings and goings of the day. And now, he would be providing that role to him.

Robot had little information to extrapolate a guess from regarding the unaccounted for three years. But given his lack of talking; he had undergone through further dehumanization, if not, all completely. A guess would be treated as a animal by everyone around him. He had been thoroughly convinced that having friends in the form of uninfected people was not the best idea. A thought that Robot disliked to his very core.

He had gone through layers of hell and never came back. Had it been a nervous breakdown? No, Robot was sure that he hadn't been put through that. There would have been a chance to come back as a person. Even as small and tiny as it was; there was none on the creature's demeanor. As if what little of Smith there had been left behind had retreated, shielding himself, from the outside world.

The room was outfitted for a waste recycler prior to leaving - gathering it all up for new uniforms pertaining to the journey - and the creature ate one of many lab rats that had been packed in the event that he was doing the exact action that John had suspected he would be making. Lab rats that Robot was overseeing in making sure the population growth performed as expected. Robot waited until the spider went to the other half of the room then paused time within it. And turned around headed for the bridge.

* * *

Robot decided to try, in the next session, to jog something back in that broken mind after years on the bridge. It was the darkest moments of his time in space. And he wanted to speak with someone, anyone, anyone emotionally available. And it turned out that beast from below was the only person capable. It was a try. Worth a try to reach a hand forward and discuss with someone that he was stuck with.

The paled blue eyed creature stared back at him and he stared right back at it.

"My name is Robot." Robot started. "We used to be vitriolic. Once. But, we were _friends_."

"Friends with a machine." The creature sneered.

"We were friends." Robot repeated.

The creature turned his back toward the machine then returned to the back and turned around only to give him a look that stunk.

"Freeze me." Spider hissed.

"Talk to me." Robot plead.

"No." Spider denied.

"You have a name." Robot said.

"Spider Smith." Spider said. "A name I was given by the people you hold so dearly to your circuits."

"You're not a monster." Robot said.

"I won't stand to hear this." Spider refused covering his ears turning away from Robot. "La la la la. I AM NOT LISTENING!"

As Doctor Smith once was, this persona shared the same stubbornness.

* * *

_"Makes you wonder," Judy said watching the colonel being towed by the two baby gorillas and the large gorilla running on ahead of him as he shrieked with Will and Robot tagging behind him. "If this man is going to become a killer or a rescuer."_

_"I want to believe that he is going to become a victim," West said. "Not a rescuer. Or a killer."_

_"Why?" Judy asked._

_"It would give him some reason to redeem himself," West said. "But he can't get that. And he won't ever get that in my eyes."_

_"I understand." Judy said. "I just can't help but pity him."_

_"Why?" Now it was West's turn to ask. "Why pity a terrorist?"_

_Judy turned toward West._

_"He is mutating every day and he can't stop that," Judy said. "No matter how I try as does my mother, we can't help him. And we never will be able to." She grimaced. "Sure, you don't have to pity him but you do have to pity the people who are trying to help a incurable monster."_

_"Are you scared?" West asked stopping Judy from retreating to the Jupiter 2. "Of him turning on us and eating everyone one night like he did with. . ."_

_"No." Judy said. "I am hurt that I can't help myself feeling better. Even if we do all that we can. . ." Judy let the comment hang there for a single moment. "It won't feel like we are trying." She looked on ahead spotting the man walking on ahead. "You never know. . ."_

_West looked in the direction that she had her attention on._

_"Any day now, we won't see a human." Judy said. "Just a alien in his place and very dangerous."_

_West let go of her arm and watched her go back inside, sadly, with pity._

_"Trouble is," West admitted to no one. "I pity you."_

* * *

Robot waited a few hours with time not on pause before coming back to the force field for the second session.

"Why don't you talk to me?" Robot asked.

"You're out to get me." Spider replied.

"I am _not_ out to get you, Doctor Smith. It is only you and I on this ship," Robot said. "The Robinsons have lost that hope. I did too . . . I regained it."

"Why?"

"You're stubborn like him."

"That is a disgusting, weak, and powerless being. He and I only share the same voice."

"You share his face,"

"But not his eyes."

"We were friends."

"You and he were most certainly **NOT** friends, you cluttered mess of bucket and bolts."

"It's a bucket of screws, Doctor Smith."

"Hmph."

"This is a long trip. And I am not leaving until you ask me how the last three years with the Robinsons were."

Spider turned his back to him.

"Then I refuse."

"You are sapient and intelligent. You must realize I can carry this on for a eternity. And you wouldn't even know it. We have thousands of years to cover."

"Then you should give up." Spider advised.

"Never." Robot said.

"Why do you suddenly have hope for someone who's dead?" Spider turned toward Robot. "Lonely." he lifted a hairless eyebrow ridge and tilted his head curiously extending his neck out toward him. "Are you?"

Robot moved a crystal in. And time froze for the spider. Robot was silent, if only for a few weeks, before starting time - after thinking in depth about the question - to answer sliding the crystal back out with care. Spider stood five feet away from the force-field staring toward Robot's direction. His eyes studying the figure that was standing on the other side of the barrier.

"I want to spend a eternity with a friend." Robot said. "Is that too much to ask?"

"If you let me out," Spider replied. "It won't be."

Robot slid in the crystal then the spider froze and he wheeled on past as his helm twirled.

* * *

"We can make what you need,"

"This machine you ask of us."

"You want to be rushed back into the year 1000,"

"One thousand and fifty-eight years away from the Alpha Centauri system?"

The aliens of the star system - The Capaladans - were negotiating with Robot for the time travel machine that they had in orbit of their planet. They were strange with dark hoods and what appeared to be constellations on their faces, shorter than he was, staring back at him, their constellations moving in shape. They were in two piece outfits that were patterned in stars. The Jupiter 2 was in orbit of the time travel machine. It was a fairly large and wide large ring that made it stand out against the other crafts and stations that orbited the planet that he was negotiating for. It was several feet thick in length with a pool interior.

Robot's helm twirled as he contemplated the potential future, a future that West and the Robinsons were going to make, but they had Robot Prime to be there for them. He had been given a body and only needed activation. A new slate. A better slate. A slate in which it knocked down the time frame from thousands of years to only one thousand and fifty-eight. After a moment, his helm twirled.

"Affirmative."

"It will cost you."

"By how much?"

"Yourself."

"I accept the price. . . One moment." Robot returned with a box then handed it over to the aliens. "Can you cure the foreign DNA in this?"

The aliens did not reply but left with it in hand.

* * *

It was only later that they had. Two weeks, long after the Jupiter 2 had continued her journey back to her home galaxy, two long weeks that were spent reliving certain memories of the Robinsons and Major West. Memories that had grown fonder as time had waned on by him. Just as it had been for the last hundred and two years.

"Yes."

Robot's helm bobbed up.

"What is the price?" Robot asked.

"Your ship."

"I cannot give you that." Robot said.

"Then keep your specimen."

Robot returned the piece where it belonged in the lab. He uploaded himself into his younger counterpart leaving only behind a trail of programming that kept the figure operating and performing to what the creatures wanted. It was a small price to pay. A price that he could accept regarding the Robinsons getting closer to Alpha Prime. Robot waited until his shell left then went to the bridge and watched as the gate appeared before him.

Home was only so close.

The ship flew into the gate portal.

And arrived just as he had asked for it.

He set in the coordinates and the Jupiter 2 resumed her course.

* * *

The Jupiter 2 stalked through the night coated in a fine film of space dirt.

Every so often, Robot would put in a crystal and the windows would be cleaned.

All between his attempts at starting a friendship and maintaining wasn't easy with the stubborn beast below.

* * *

"I caught a space fish fourteen hundred hours ago."

Skepticism. That was in the silence between them as the creature glared him down.

"I have harvested it in such a way that it will be the first meal of the Robinsons upon our landing on Alpha Prime A."

The creature rolled their eyes.

"This is thousands of years trip. Said so yourself."

"I cheated."

"Cheater."

"Says the man who cheated in our previous chess game!" Robot raised his voice.

"You cheated." The spider scowled. "It was all your fault that _yooooouuuu_ lost!"

"You cheated fair and square, Doctor Smith." Robot said.

"Creatures do not have a habit of cheating." the spider snarled back.

"_This_ creature has a record of doing so." Robot said.

"And the current length to this unreachable system is," Spider said.

"Is one thousand years to Alpha Prime A." Robot said.

"Oh booby, if only this happened before. . ." Smith lamented for only a few seconds. "That is too much to ask for."

Robot bobbed his helm up, catching a small flare of hope, of possibilities, of chance.

"It is," Robot said. "I don't know how we can help you."

"Can you let me out now?" Spider asked.

Robot's helm bobbed down, exasperated, and exhausted.

"For the forty-fifth time: _no_. Every time you ask, I know I am not talking to a friend. I am talking to a desperate animal that is highly unintelligent or capable of recall," Robot said. "Yet, you are capable of recalling events."

Spider turned away rolling his eyes.

"That can only tell me you are afraid of yourself on what you will do after being freed. And I agree with you." Robot said as the creature paused then sharply turned toward him. "You have every reason to be afraid, Doctor Smith."

"Don't call me that." Spider snapped. "That human doesn't exist anymore."

"I know there is some part of you left behind. Small, tiny, but it matters. The Robinsons believed there isn't. I used to." He paused. "Now, I don't."

"You're a fool." Spider said.

"A fool willing to do something that would get my organic counterparts killed or eaten alive. A fool is what I am. What are you?"

"A spider."

"Negative. A clown."

"The only one clowning about is you."

"If I am the clown then who are you?"

Spider was silent for a moment.

"Spider Smith." Spider said.

"You hesitated_. Hesitated_. There is still hope in you. After all. If I can find a way to manage your illness, not cure it, perhaps. . ." Robot said. "Oh for fucks sake we should have thought of that ages ago!"

"Language." the creature hissed.

"English." Robot said. "I have been collecting various lifeforms and plant life along the way. I can attempt at creating the suppressors."

"I don't need your hope," Spider said. "Because this is who I am."

"It isn't, Doctor Smith." Robot said. "I know who you are _inside_."

* * *

Months passed this way.

Using the small crystal pod to descend and explore the planet the Jupiter 2 was orbiting.

Collect samples, strange small wildlife, breeds of plant to make up a very unique hydroponics, then discuss later after a series of long adventures about what Robot had gone through. His report grew eccentric to the hybrid that scowled and refused to listen to the theatrics as Robot did a replay, blow by blow account, of the bizarre creatures he had came across and pieces of civilization. He pretended not to hear sometimes with his back turned to the robot. Sometimes, they weren't based in 21st century in terms of clothing and technology. Sometimes, they were 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th, 16th, 15th, and the list went on.

In truth, the creature envied the machine.

To be planet side surrounded by lifeforms.

If only the machine decided to leave him among his kind, a planet of spiders, perhaps that would be fair.

* * *

"What now? Got a tale to gloat about?" Spider rolled his eyes. "Or for the sake of conversation; complain about?"

"I am here to report about the planet that we currently orbiting due to its odd nature," Robot replied. "This planet is full of spiders."

Spider turned toward Robot with widened eyes and approached the force-field.

"Take me down there." Spider said.

"No." Robot declined.

"It is the only planet so far you have gone past that I can freely roam! So excuse me for wanting that!"

"How can I be sure that you are **not** going to lay your egg sac there?"

Silence hung between them as Spider's eyes remained fixated on the machine for several minutes then his head stirred forth.

"You have my word."

"Your word means very little to me." Robot reminded.

"If you let me down there then I will play a game with you." Spider said.

"When?" Robot asked.

"Next week." Spider said.

"If I detect any remotely new lifeforms with your DNA then I will annihilate every form of life of planet. Is that clear?"

"Very."

Robot pressed a series of buttons then stepped back and held his claw up. The spider put on the cloak that was hemmed and detagged, a mix of purple, black, and green from the cushions and the blankets. He grinned as he stepped out of the cell. His bones ached for freedom, for movement that exercised them, and his back desperately screamed for a good stretch. All in due time.

"And I am going with you." Robot said.

"Not quite free," Spider hissed. "I see."

"I have my sensors on you." he gestured a claw back and forth between them. "Walk forward." Robot smacked his claw against the creature's back. "Before I decide against taking you out a second time for another planet like this!"

The spider hated this with every fiber of his being. Being held hostage, being held captive, as a prisoner. It was out of line. Out of everything that he knew that he deserved. The rage was unbridaled and had to be restrained. One wrong move and he was dead. Dead wasn't quite what he wanted. Robot lead him in the lead. Spider looked from side to side taking in the view of the dark gray corridor with little light show. Just as how he had remembered it strolling down these halls.

He looked toward a window then spotted the views of space staring back at him. He frowned at the pitch blackness pausing in his tracks staring out there feeling small and insignificant. He was big and significant in the grand scheme of things compared to every lifeform in the galaxy. A simple noise drew his attention off then he followed the machine down the corridor and slide out small disks at a time resembling cards into each corridor segment. This way continued for some time until making it to a sea of dark crafts. Robot opened one of the doors and beckoned him in.

Spider hated being beckoned as he followed the machine in. The machine lifted himself in to the craft then closed the door behind him. He set in the coordinates, moving crystals at a time, with musical notes being made. The shuttle bay opened then the craft went below leaving the Jupiter 2 behind. He watched as the untempered dark clouds stood out against the blue orb. And the suns that it was orbiting held a unique orbit to each other with a margin for striking but refusing to do so. Spider admired it for a time then the craft landed in a foggy marsh. Robot slid the door open and Spider peered out.

Spider carefully went down the steps looking from side to side. His feet stepped on the water, finely balancing, then walked on, and on, and on. He dropped his cloak on to a tree, stretched his entire being, including his neck, then relaxed lowering himself down with a delighted sigh. Spider knelt down then dunk his head into the water then thrust himself in.

He bobbed back up, hovering to the top, floating on the surface throwing back with a gracious sigh as water trickled down his skin renewing it in ways that it had been in a long time. He closed his eyes enjoying the fresh scent of water and the sounds of animals being made around him. A daddy long legs spider crawled on to his shoulder then went back down fleeing from him and danced on the water going to the distance.

"Genuine . . . healthy . . ." Spider began to smile lifting himself up with a smile. "water."

He got up to his feet, returned to the tree, put on the cloak then resumed exploring for hours at a time letting his finger brush against tall blades of grass.

A experience that he wanted and could treasure for the remainder of his painfully timed existence.

* * *

A week passed and Robot sensed no detection of Spider's DNA crawling around the landscape.

It was night when there was a rapid series of frantic knocking on the door and Robot opened it detecting a familiar mind reading.

Spider appeared, his cloak torn and tattered, his stare distant, freaked out, yet his hood remained with no harm.

As if he had been chased by creatures that were far more frightening than he was. Robot was silent. He was trembling like a leaf when he walked past him. His processor returned that Smith had been hunted by the animals and he did not wish to speak of it. The sounds of the creatures were loud enough, the terrified thoughts crossing his mind, and the words 'I made a mistake coming here' only told Robot one thing. The animals treated him like a human as he was conditioned on not attacking by Robot in the beginning of the vacation. So he ran and defended himself using tools around him; spears, rocks, and the environment around him. It was a step from 'animal' to 'human'. A long and eventful week that had been healing until the end became otherwise.

Smith collapsed to the floor then snored away.

Robot closed the door, silently, then returned the craft to the Jupiter 2.

He guided the snoring figure to his cell with his arms on his chassis.

And sufficiently repaired Smith's exploration uniform.

That small flare of hope grew stronger.

* * *

Slowly, Robot peered through a list of games from the game crate.

His processor was regulating on what was the brightest and logical means of entertainment. Means that could make the man relax around him and be himself. Instead, Robot found a old card deck labeled under cosmic cards. Cards that had been extracted from one of the aliens they had came across then he returned to the room and turned off force-fields carrying a small object in his claws.

Spider sprung to his feet then began to run forward. A single blast wheezed past Spider and he paused in his tracks. Robot came to the center of the room then with several press of buttons, a table was summoned, and he untied the card deck. Spider looked back and from, puzzled, by the action that the machine was taking. He slid in several cards to Spider's side of the table. Robot put another device on the table then organized a set of cards.

"If you attack me then I will vaporize you on the spot with my newly installed vaporizer," Robot said. "Are we clear?"

The pale blue eyes stared back at him.

"Crystal."

The spider looked down upon the cards.

"Might I ask what are you doing?"

"We are playing solitaire." Robot explained. "And I am not freezing you until this game is done."

"I barely have the memory about this ancient game," the creature swiped the cards of the table. "And I am in no mood for your games, jailer."

Robot bobbed his helm up.

"You, pick them up." He aimed the weapon at the being. "If you have any interest in being alive then clean your mess up or God help me."

"But I am **God**!"

"You are in God's house. They are more powerful than you are. Kind and forgiving but upset Them and you shall face Their wrath. Capable of awesome tasks."

"Can They turn a spider into a man?" Spider asked.

"No," Robot said.

"Then I am God!" The creature smacked all four of their palms against the table. "I can create **LIFE**."

"Pick up the cards." Robot instructed. "Or face your untimely death."

Spider grumbled then did as he was instructed lowering himself down to the ground.


	3. Bellied of food

"I like to see a prairie." Spider said.

"I have synthesized a prairie for you," Robot pointed out. "I can prepare another one."

"No, you silly ninny." Spider shook his hand. "A _real_ prairie."

"You want to be in a real prairie." Robot said. "Not just see it."

"Nothing like the show you have reconstructed." Spider confirmed.

"That was holographic," Robot protested to the wave of the doctor's hand.

"That is ancient, one dimensional, and doesn't have the same texture appeal." Spider replied.

"That would require landing the Jupiter 2 planet side." Robot said. "And the prairies we have are not available for you."

"It would require that landing." Spider agreed.

There was a long moment of silence between them as they stared at one another. Spider's fingers rapped on the table, one after the other, after the other, patiently, waiting for the judgement of the machine. The machine bobbed up.

"We have the fuel to do that." Robot said.

"We always have the fuel. What is the fuel, anyway?" the spider leaned forward squinting at the machine. "Thought process? Nuclear materials? What is it?"

"I am not allowed to tell you." Robot said.

"Then give me a prairie to look at!" Spider demanded.

"Press the hungry hippo and I will consider it, Doctor Smith." Robot aimed the plasma blaster at him. "Press the hungry hippo."

"This game is stupid." Spider said.

"Is not." Robot said. "I saw you chuckle!"

Spider scowled then was about to press on the button when a thought hit him.

"If I pretend to have fun then can I sit around in the prairie with you watching me?" Spider eyed the machine. "It will be enjoyable. I promise."

Robot eyed the man.

"Yes." Robot said. "The next planet the Jupiter 2 approaches."

Spider smiled, satisfied, triumphant.

"Then we have a deal,"

"And you will be wearing your own shit-"

"What? Good heavens, you're not really thinking-"

"As a space suit."

"Oh, the horror!" Spider slunk in the modified chair putting one hand on his forehead.

"Environmental spacesuit with gloves." Robot conditioned. "You got a cold then it became the flu for two weeks!" Spider folded his arms with a frown. "I do not intend for you to have a flu that may be worse than the last. I designed the uniform for this purpose because of that. _That_ is the deal, Doctor Smith."

Robot had him. And Spider_ knew it_.

"Your deal is accepted." Spider said with much reluctance.

Spider pressed the button.

* * *

Robot was the first to descend down the platform then paused at the end. A cloaked figure with a hood came down the platform with their hands clasped in their lap then turned their head from side to side with their attention focused on the prairie admiring the view. The figure walked forward peered out of the hood then shielded his dulled blue eyes facing the sky with a brightly shining sun with his hands and adjusted his vision for it.

The area bore reminders of what Earth had once been. Clear blue skies. White clouds. Birds in the sky. Golden blades sticking out of the light brown ground. Spider lowered his hood. The hood was made of various parts of the space suits, mainly of the neck collars, disjointed, quite old, and well worn. He was in his original cloak, not of the colorful one with long sleeves that lacked sleeve cuffs, his fingers grazed along the fabric clenching on to it then lifted it up partially as he walked over a mud puddle.

"I did not miss this!" Spider complained. "So dirty."

"It is just mud, Doctor Smith." Robot said.

"Not just mud to mud." Spider said. "It is mud to monster for this! This doesn't go well WIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTH MMMMMMMMMMMMMMY APPEEAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!" He wiggled his specialized boots. "These boots are going to be so filthy. One time wear, I am afraid."

"I will recycle them into your space suit gloves," Robot announced.

"Then I am still wearing shit."

"Affirmative."

"Urgh, this is awful." The creature paused. "Wait one moment! I don't need a spacesuit in space! I CAN BREATHE IN SPACE!"

"You are half human," Robot reminded.

"More alien than half human." Spider hissed. "I despise that label."

"Humans are adaptable," Robot said. "It is how you were born and able to adapt so easily."

Robot and Spider traveled far from the Jupiter 2 until it were a distant specter and the mud puddles were no more. He lowered the hem down to the ground then lifted the hood up sensing that he were being watched. Spider searched through the tall trees searching for the source feeling unnerved.

Robot paused in his tracks near a arch way made of trees that made a passageway leading to a well tended cabin on a hill overlooking a lake.

Spider turned his gaze away with a scowl from the view.

"I sense that we are being watched."

"It is only the birds." Robot scoffed. "You are safe."

Spider looked ahead watching dark clouds rising over the trees into the sky in curled shapes.

"Then why is there smoke rising in the distance?"

Robot's helm twirled as he turned toward the direction that the creature gesturing in.

"Let's not think about that and enjoy the weather. Their problems are of no concern." Robot turned back toward the creature. "We came here to enjoy the weather and the prairie according to the deal." Robot elaborated. "I have also stipulated that we do not go into public."

"The fires . . ." Spider said. "The last time I had seen that was during the great war."

Spider shook his head.

"No," he corrected himself. "While Earth was beginning to die."

Spider pressed a button on his neckline then the glass facial helm vanished. He pressed on buttons to his sleeves and stretched his four hands out. He brushed his fingers along the edges of the tall blades feeling the soft yet thick aspect to them then a small broken smile grow on his face watching them sway from side to side. The edges of his fingertips brushed against the feel of the blades. Spider walked on ahead of the machine.

Robot remained perched on a fallen tree log that lead ahead over the edge of the field. The heavily modified Rambler Crane model, now almost completely back to his old model - with the exception of a additional arm- loomed over the figure acting as, in what John had once referred to himself, a helicopter parent. Now, it had became a reality. A reality that hadn't been foreseen in the designing of his programming. A reality that Robot accepted, begrudgingly, one that he did not question in leading him down the path that was so desirable.

Spider sat down on the edge of ridge and dangled his four legs out enjoying the breeze and his four fingers were left on the edge of the ground taking in a breath of alien air then exhaling. Robot followed after him coming to a pause on the ridge and remained stationed there by his side. They were this way for several hours watching the daylight retreat down into the distant with the sun set with the orange lighting falling down over the pitch black armor on his skin. It reminded Robot of watching the last sun set with Doctor Smith and Will Robinson. Before the bars.

The blue sky was replaced by the constellations that was unfamiliar.

"The stars are nice out." Robot said.

"I can't see." Spider whimpered.

"Turn on your helmet." Robot said, softly.

Spider obliged.

"Oh." Spider said. "How. . . Wonderful." His eyes looked on in awe toward the night sky. "Marvelous. Grandstanding."

And somehow, detecting these sights for hundreds of hours, Robot felt like he were looking at entirely new stars. Stars that had lost their dull, monotone, and uneventful regard.

"Affirmative." Robot said.

Spider turned his gaze toward Robot then began to smile - a genuine Smith like smile of rare warmth - and Robot felt his merged neural net warm up.

If Rambler Crane models were designed with a head and face then he would be smiling back.

* * *

"This way! This way! This way!"

"Our world is falling apart and you have to say THIS WAY, Marvis!" A older man with dark blue quills coating his figure asked with a strange prosthetic golden beak.

Marvis turned toward the blonde man.

"We can escape the eradication forces if we go through the sewers, Yarvis!" Marvis replied.

The people in the front of the group exchanged a glance.

"What if they go after us?" asked Hopal.

"No one goes in the sewers not even guardsmen." Marvis said.

The community full of desperate families exchanged glances with each other then took a gulp and went in the direction that the teenager fled in. Grime decorated their civilian wear as light poured on them at each gap they went past. The horrors of above echoed on the city limits with screams of the innocents, the sounds of cars exploding, and weapons being discharged in their official acts of cruelty that were disapproved of by other parts of the world. And no one lifted a finger about it on the arms of their chairs.

The ground above them began to tremble and the house pets fled on ahead of them taking their owners with them. The house pets were different as them and perhaps as odd. The rocks collapsed in the sewers. Survivors ran over the fallen clumps then helped their own out of the rocks, pipes, and other material. The other survivors fled after the group with animals trapped in the clump struggling their way out grunting and screeching until freedom was in their grasp.

A small child stopped and looked on toward two fallen figures struck by the phaser blasts coming from above and screamed in anguish. The anguish was muffled by the sounds of war from above. Marvis paused along the walls of the sewers watching the community fleeing in shock and stunned, surviving against the collapse.

The child fell down to their knees then Marvis grasped the child by the shirt and ran the opposite way from that they had came. The surface above her collapsed with a thunderous thud. The fleeing group had brought their bare necessities fleeing into the dark and artifacts of their history among them at the front of the group.

A strange horse with the features of a giraffe had its head lowered standing alongside its counterpart as they traveled through the sewers as the firing grew muffled and the rumbling stopped. They were now several feet underground. The travel brought them down to their little ounces of energy. The journey was long and tiring as they had been traveling for hours.

* * *

"I have to go, now."

"Really?"

"Yes. Like, RIGHT NOW."

"I locked the door."

"You ninny! I have to go, NOW! I can't wait-"

"The crystals opening sequence is dah dah duh duh. Duh dah dah. Duh duh."

"Got it, got it go it got it,"

"Lock the door behind you."

The spider made a run for it fleeing for the Jupiter 2 and returned only thirty-three minutes later on a slow pace. He sat down back, but this time in the field, then laid down with a sigh that was of relaxation feeling nature along him and the cool breeze in the air. He smelled flames that stood out and a tint of smoke that bothered him. Robot came to his side and remained for a hour.

The spider awoke then made a bolt for the Jupiter 2 repeating, "I got to go! I have to go! I have to go go go go go go go!"

Robot stared at the man becoming a specter before his sensors.

"You have a small bladder, Doctor Smith." Robot said.

Spider returned to the ledge and hunched over with a sigh of relief.

"Are you done?" Robot asked.

Smith looked up toward Robot with a frown.

"Yes." Then turned his attention upon the landscape and pressed on the small button then the glass facial helmet came over.

* * *

The child was trudging on with their head lowered wandering from side to side, defeated, their face stained by dirt and frozen tears. The group whimpered as they came out of the sewers to the large body of water ahead of them. Marvis paused at the edge of the sewer placing her hands on her knees. They saw everything ahead of them that was of civilization was burning and the clouds were heavy.

"Where to next?" Yarvis asked.

"There is another trail of sewers that lead down to the country side." Marvis said. "It should be a good idea."

"I don't like that idea," Yarvis said. "Too easy. Let's take the other way."

"And what then? Be slaughtered like lamb?" Marvis asked. "I know this path. No one knows of it. It is hardly in the public records."

"Given the situation that we are in, Marvis," Yarvis said. "I am pretty sure they know of these tunnels. There is moles everywhere."

"Are you implying that I am a mole?" Marvis asked, insulted.

"I am not quite saying that," Yarvis said. "The least of our concerns is dying. What is going up there. . . we may be the survivors of our community. The last piece of it." Yarvis scanned the crowd of grim survivors. "We have to be unpredictable."

"Let's try the country side," the same woman, Hopal, from earlier said.

"Yes," Spoke up a young girl. "If . . . if worse happens. . . Then we don't listen to _her_."

"Fair enough," Marvis nodded in agreement. "I will accept that."

Marvis sighed, watching everyone pass her, then looked on toward the opening of the cave. She saw between the almost transparent but light smoke that a child was standing hunched over in the middle of sobbing and whimpering. The ground above him trembled. Marvis's gaze shot back toward the group then toward the child. Marvis ran after the child. She jogged back in then lifted the child up to her arms and bolted after the group. They went into the next block of sewers. And the sewers ahead of them collapsed.

The group fled into the abandoned sewers leading away with screams and shrieks of horror coming from everyone. The ground above them trembled from shots being fired against it. They ran and ran and ran for hours until the ground had stopped moving above them. And the tunnels turned into a passage way long abandoned by the people for a very long time. The people came out of the tunnel and spotted a large craft set on the ground within a large prairie with Marvis in the back lagging behind carrying the tired child.

"We go there!" Yarvis said. "Looks like the hangar bay is open! Let's go!"

And everyone followed Yarvis on.

* * *

Robot stirred Spider awake.

"The sun is rising."

Spider lifted his eyes open then looked toward the red sky watched as the yellow sun rose up, slowly, highlighting the landscape with its orange intensity chasing away the darkness. Sweeping it away with each glow that spread further through the landscape. The darkness was replaced by fog with hints of fire standing out with trees in blazes. His dulled blue eyes looked on toward the disaster below in intrigue with some of mother nature's beauty.

"How wonderful."

* * *

Spider stretched as he got off the edge of the ridge then lowered himself to a level that was shorter than the machine. Robot came to his side then dropped a package in his hands that were warm and covered in a fine layer of paper. Spider bounced the heated packaging between his four hands back to Robot who tossed it back at him and so forth. Eventually, this culminated with Robot throwing the slightly warm package at Spider's face. Dramatically, Spider collapsed.

"My eyeyeeessss they burrrrrrrrnn!" Spider whined.

Robot wheeled over to the package then dropped it on Spider's chest.

"Eat." Robot ordered.

"Ew." Spider recoiled.

"It is nutritious," Robot said.

"I don't feel like eating non-meat products." Spider said, sliding the packaging off his chest.

Robot twirled toward Smith.

"You used to like eating, _anything_, in general." Dare he say, Robot sounded: heartbroken?

"I am not that same man you keep telling me that I am." Spider used the treads as his support up to his feet. "Stop it."

Robot picked up the packaging.

"Then I'll stop feeding you. Because eating prepared food is all you're getting once we return aboard the Jupiter 2."

Spider whirred toward with the dulled blue eyes standing out as his eyelids had retreated in a impressive way.

"You wouldn't _dare_." Spider said. "I will starve to death!"

"I would freeze you, Doctor Smith." Robot said. "Forever."

"Not starve me." Spider said. "Bu-b-bub-but, that is worse! I would never fully live!"

"I will bring myself a new companion aboard the Jupiter 2 on a certain cycle." Robot explained. "A task I should have done instead of helping you out if you continue to decline eating the way you should."

"No!" Spider fell to the treads of Robot. "Please don't!" he clasped all his four hands together. "Spare me! Spare me!"

"Then eat!" Robot tossed the packaging into the man's grasp and Spider slunk away. "Your life depends on it."

Spider began to-

"Not in one bite!" Robot said. "Savor the taste, enjoy it, make it last."

"Nothing hardly lasts." Spider grimaced.

"It is what you used to say regarding the occasion." Robot said. "Before Hastia. After your infection transformed you." Spider closed his mouth from protesting. "You are not so different from him in that aspect."

"If I eat it slowly then will you be entertained?" Spider asked.

"This is on the affirmative side of things, Doctor Smith."

Spider pried off the paper off the egg burrito then took one bite, two bites, three bites, three bites, and a forth one until it were all gone while chewing between each bite. He dropped the shredded paper to the ground then got off the fallen tree frame.

"Are you happy now, jailer?" Spider recoiled.

"Yes." Robot replied.

Spider looked toward the distance observing the sun was rising over the mountains had only grown taller in size.

"Looks like a war zone down there." Spider noted.

Robot turned in the direction to view the disaster that was changing the landscape.

"Warning! Warning! We have to evacuate this area."

The sounds of loud booming stirred the air and brought fright into Spider's skin. He got up to his feet then began to flee with a scream. Robot slowly began to retreat as the relaxing air was replaced by tension. Suddenly, the blast came closer and Robot's upper half was blown off.

"Not again." Robot's lower half whined. "Doctor Smith, come back. Help me! You can't leave without someone capable of piloting the Jupiter 2!"

Spider skid to a halt.

"Hell, he is right." Spider turned around then picked up the blown off piece belonging to Robot then grinned looking on. "Guess you need that bubble head back."

"Don't you even start about that." Robot warned. "I will need your help putting it on."

"And so you shall." Spider replied.

Another boom frightened Spider and he ran off toward the Jupiter 2 leaving Robot behind. Robot quickly board the Jupiter 2 behind Spider then went into the bridge and set in the course with his lower half claws setting in the departure proceedings. The door closed behind him then the massive unusually themed pancake vessel flew into the sky seeking into the heavens leaving a army behind. One of the leaders of the army spoke into a large item that resembled a thick spike with colorful buttons that were made of glass.

He resumed the previous course that the ship was headed for. Then his sensors detected a large collection of lifeforms that weren't supposed to be there. And he was being chased. The craft trembled from side to side then the material repaired the wounds and the shields grew stronger against the blasts. The blast was returned to the crafts, crippling them in such way that they had to give up pursuit, letting the Jupiter 2 flee into the dark.

* * *

Yarvis was silent as were the rest of the villages and the animals. More quiet than they used to be in the previous few and tragic hours. No one was crying or making a sound that pertained to it. Their hearts were racing with little to ease them. The doors to the hangar bay lifted open and the sound of something came down the staircase. It was a tall machine with a bobbed head then stood in the middle of the room.

"My name is Robot Robinson." Robot said. "I will not hurt you."

Silence.

"Please, show yourself."

The crowd began to expand from behind and within the crystal crafts.

"Hello," Yarvis said. "I am Yarvis, leader of this community," he gestured toward the large crowd. "We are the Yaveens." he turned toward the machine with plea. "We need a new home."

"Can you help us?" the child asked, stepping forward, rubbing his shoulder.

"We will be in another star system in six months," Robot said. "If you can be brave for six months then I can help you."

"What else do we have to be afraid of?" Marvis asked. "You?"

"No." Robot said. "A monster in the belly of the ship." He twirled toward the doorway then back. "That is what he calls himself."

"What is a. . . Robinson?" Hopal asked.

"A human," Robot said. "That is the family name. They are in stasis."

"Long as we don't wake them or pose harm then we can stay until the next system?" Hopal asked.

"Yes." Robot said. "I have enough meat to last everyone here."

Murmurs, gasps, and sighs of relief traveled through the crowd.

Marvis went to the back of the hangar bay and took out a large device from her dress pocket.

"Marvis to force," Marvis said. "We are going to the Tranquility System."

_Click. _

"We will be there."

* * *

The child explored through the Jupiter 2 with the other children playing with the consoles to get from section to section.

Their attention faded from it and turned to games that Robot had revealed and let them play with getting the adults involved.

He looked around observing the total darkness that was pierced by the light that was traversing from the floor to the ceiling above his head. He did this for hours at a time, finding rooms that had strange plants, and rooms with large rooms that had been modified into grazing pastures filled with animals already moved there. The animals were strange to his eyes even as he watched some of their animals moved into the same pasture and be accepted by the wildlife.

Robot sanctioned off a section from the Yaveens.

And the child only grew more curious as the days waned on.

Watching him go to the section and reappear after a certain time frame had passed.

It was roughly for three hours per week taking packages in and out.

* * *

The child hid behind the wall then one day, he caught the melody that the machine had played on the crystals.

"Who does he visit?" A monster? Why visit a monster with board games? Unless, it's a person.

He came to the console then played the crystals to their tune.

"Here goes nothing. . ."

The door slid open then he went inside the corridor.

"Hello?"

The lights beamed on beneath his feet as he got further into the tunnel. He came to a dark doorway then pressed a button on the console then slid out a large crystal. The lights flickered on and he saw a strange being at the doorway glaring at him. The child looked upon the tall creature in awe. It was a strange creature with four legs and four arms that stood out with the way that he was holding on to his hands. The child tilted his head then straightened it and smiled back politely.

"Hello, sir." The child waved. "You look pretty . . . neat."

The creature looked down upon the child, startled, puzzled.

"Neat." the creature repeated. "You are not afraid."

"There are smaller things to be afraid of," the child replied.

"Such as what?"

"People who want to make sure that kids like me don't want to exist."

"Those are the worst kinds of monsters."

"Yes,"

"What is the matter with you?"

"It's my blood. They say it's tainted. Not pure. Say I am a degenerate-"

"Child, please." The creature held his hand up then put on their cloak. "Cease this prattling." the tall creature shook their hand then shifted toward the child. "I have a clear enough picture as it is what you refer to."

"Do you?" The child asked.

"Yes. Used to think a long time ago, it wouldn't happen. But, it did." The creature lowered their gaze, regretful, at the past. "And we had a costly civil war to restrict the right to make hate speech not repeatable on the campaign trail."

"Campaign trail?" The child asked.

"Hmm, yes." The creature nodded.

"Are you part of the crew?" The child asked. "Are you all. . ." he pointed toward the outfit that Spider was in. "in cloaks?"

The creature hesitated before replying.

"No."

"Why?"

"I am their pet monster. It's a unforgivable tragedy how I came to be this way. I wasn't always this way. I wasn't always this great and powerful."

"Can you heal people?"

"Mhm."

"Can you?"

"I can create life."

The child shook their head.

"Then you're not powerful if you can't bring the dead back to life. You're not a God. You're just a person."

The creature stepped through the doorway and the child remained firm where he stood looking up toward the creature.

"I am not a mere powerless person!"

"Yes, you are." The child looked up, not flinching, scanning him. "You can't bring back the dead."

The creature paused looking down upon the child then studied him.

"Is your faith wavering?"

"I don't believe in Gods."

"So, not your faith that you are being prosecuted for. It's your difference."

"Yes."

The creature tilted his head.

"What makes you different?"

"I can fly."

"Ah, everyone envies that."

"They say it is against our natural rule of law."

"Those people are ninnies." The creature swiped into thin air. "Tell me, who did you lose to get here?"

"M-m-m-m-m-m-m-mu parents." the child's voice grew small. "In a hail of fi-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-fire. My extended family, t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-too." The child hung their head. "I have no one left to call family."

The spider paused for a few moments considering, his numerous hands closed in fists, then his primary hands opened and reached out for the child that began to cry looking down rubbing away tears for the first time in weeks. The child was no more than seven years old by the looks of it. His hand grew steady losing their tremble then coming to a pause on the child's shoulder.

"You always have a extended family right here aboard this vessel, my dear child."

The child rubbed his eyes then looked up toward him.

"Really? . . . " The child asked in awe. "Thank you. I appreciate your words."

"What is your name?" He tilted his head.

"I don't have one."

"Why?"

"We chose our names when we are grown up."

"Quite a unusual arrangement."

"You are grown. Do you have a name?"

"Names have different meanings."

The child nodded, with a pause, catching the evasive reply.

"If you like to be that way."

"Pleased to meet you, by the way." the creature replied holding out a large claw out for the child. The child tentatively reached their hand out and shook his hand. "You'll make a great man one of these days."

"I want to be a astronaut when I grow up. A diplomat. A protector of the people. Someone who comes with cavalry when rights are being trampled, to force the current leader down, someone who will restore everything the way it ought to be."

"We have legends about those people who are not astronauts."

"What are they called?"

"Heroes. Heroes who made great and personal sacrifices." The creature began to explain to the child. "The most notable one is from California. Before it was a state. Their name was El Zorro, the fox." he swished, waving his bony fingers, in the shape of a z. "They had help. Not Gods, not aliens, not spaceships, not starships. Earthly help. And just weapons, a horse, wit, a mask, and a sword."

"Sounds great."

"He was a Spaniard."

"What's a Spaniard?"

"Someone who speaks Spanish."

"What is Spanish?"

"Buenas noches, senor nino."

"Someone who speaks that?"

"Yes."

"Can you teach me?"

"No."

"I am going to be here for awhile with other of my people. We have a long trip ahead of us. I am going to come back over and over and over."

"_Why_?"

"In my culture, when we p-p-p-put other people's into our language, we are preserving them and remembering them long after they are gone."

"A legacy that will never be forgotten."

"Long as we exist then so will they."

The creature was silent for a long moment turning away from the child.

"And the good and the bad of it? The bittersweet and glorious victories?"

"Yes."

The creature paused.

"Before I start. Let me tell you about myself. And you will have to determine whether or not you like to listen to someone like me." The creature started. "I recommend learning from the machine."

"Go on, please." The child said.

"I tried to thwart my civilization's attempt to colonize another planet. A family with children. I failed." His words became bitter and dark. "I was dragged along into a death ship and promptly stabbed by a strange creature that was alien. Mostly spider like." he shook the disturbing memory off then waved it off. He braced himself walking back into the bright chamber that he had left keeping his back to the child. "That was a very long time ago."

"Did you do ethnic cleansing?" The child asked.

"No!" The creature exclaimed turning toward him, his dulled blue eyes flashing open, in a abrupt manner. "Good heavens-horrible to ask of me! A GENTLEMAN."

"Then you're not bad to listen to. You just admitted you did something wrong." The child acknowledged. "You've learned that you made a mistake."

"How long has it been out there?" the creature asked.

"A month." The child replied.

"Oh _dear_."

The creature's face fell at the reply turning aside from the boy, troubled. And the child sensed that he was crestfallen at how long it had been as he lowered his gaze toward the floor looking back to something. Something that had been made long ago. The expression was something that he had seen from other people when they realized someone was right. And the creature quickly accepted that with acceptance and a sigh.

"Nothing major happened apart from what Robot may have told you." The child said.

"How long are you to stay, my dear boy?" The creature asked lifting his attention up toward the child. "Robot has been elusive of telling me."

"Right now. . ." The child said. "it is five months."

The creature paused, understandingly, his eyes downcast.

"Not long." Came out small.

"Why?" The child asked. "Why are you so sad? You make it sound I am just going to be here for a week."

The creature lifted their gaze up toward the child, reluctantly, yet sadly.

"It is complicated." he held all four of his hands out. "I am a mere mortal. He isn't. We have a long trip to where we need to be. So I need to be frozen. Time is different in here. And it will be a week to me regarding your stay."

"So. . ." The child guessed, trying to understand, trying to find a answer. "He is a God?"

"No." he clapped his hands together loudly enough the sound echoed for a single moment in the corridor with dark look on his face then lowered them down at once. "We have very advanced technology aboard this heavenship." he gestured toward the console then beckoned the child toward it. "Please, catch up."

"Ooooooh." The child said, as it dawned on him. "So this is a time freezer of some sort?"

"Yes. To me, it has only been a day since we left your planet." The creature admitted.

The child became quiet.

"It won't be long." The child agreed.

He shifted toward the child then frowned.

"Is it late?"

"Yes,"

The creature studied the child.

"Turn off the light and put the crystal back in," The creature said. "I won't teach you when you are bone dead tired."

The child did as he was instructed then walked away.

* * *

"Why would you allow guests to explore a ship with a monster like me in the belly?" Spider asked.

Robot bobbed his helm up with a whir.

"I did not allow him." Robot said.

"You knew you were being followed!" Spider accused.

"Yes. I did." Robot said. "I did not anticipate him to enter. Do you want him around?"

"I get the feeling that if we push him away, he will be a boomerang, and defy our requests." Spider said. "It will be a useless endeavor."

"That is a stubborn child, Doctor Smith." Robot said. "We don't know if he is stubborn at all."

Smith lifted a eyebrow ridge lowering his gaze.

"Learning how to open the console, much?" Smith asked.

"Determined." Robot said.

"Why do I have to be stuck with such stubborn people like you?" He leaned back into the chair with a tap on his forehead and groaned. "I have already more or less promised a child to teach him Spanish." He relaxed his shoulders and balanced his head on the head rest then pinched the center of his forehead. "Which means I need to plot how many hours he will spend in here with me."

For a complete surreal moment, Robot registered that his mind waves were aligned in the process of the person he once knew. He was getting closer. Unbelievably close. Getting close enough to bring _him_ back. Getting close to a old friend that he knew was hiding in pieces. His intelligence was coming forward in the mist. And exercising his mind was proving to be useful making him think about someone other than himself. Robot began to laugh.

"What is funny?" Spider glared.

"I should have thought that earlier. It will do some good to be around someone else for a few hours. . ." Then Robot paused. "With my presence."

"You still don't trust me around people." Spider said. "This is getting to be a annoyance."

"The last time you were around a child; you tried to eat him!" Robot reminded.

"I don't recall." Spider said.

"I recall this vividly!" Robot said. "And that was when I was preparing to socialize you!"

"I don't recall that ever happening." Spider said. "Someone else. Maybe."

"AND I had to leave a very bad plasma burn to send you back." Robot added. "It's on your shoulder."

He pried his garment down then spotted a long term burn.

"I haven't noticed." He turned his attention upon Robot. "This game, jenga, why are we playing it at all?"

"Because it is making you think." Robot said. "I should bring the children into this. This should do some good."

"No." Spider declined.

"It is too late," Robot said. "I am already planning for your downfall to being a human."

Spider hissed.

"Your move, cylon!"

Robot paused then lifted his claw up and scanned the side of the pile.

"How many hours would you like to teach him?" Robot asked.

"Five hours." Spider said.

"Are you sure that you want to age that quickly, Doctor Smith?" Robot asked concerned. "You are forty-five." Spider froze as certain realization occurred to him. "You will be forty-six in the next month of your standard time. And you will be getting _old_."

"Two." Spider wiggled his two fingers. "Two hours per standard day."

"You make a hard bargain." Robot said. "I accept your schedule."

"Make your move, obsolete piece of scrap metal."

The tower of jenga fell on the spider scattering about him with a crash.

"What?" The glare was more of Smith than of Spider. His furious but silent dulled blue eyes rested on Robot. "That was not intentional."

Silently, the spider put the pieces back in then handed the box to Robot.

"Get. Out." Smith got up from the chair then walked away with his arms folded. "Playtime is over."

* * *

What felt to be a hour later, Robot returned with a crowd of people and the creature was lurking about in the expanded perimeters of his cell -_ a expansion_, Robot called it, _as that of having the hallway to yourself when I am away for periods of time_ \- in the shadows. Was it a sign of Robot trusting him? Relaxing his restraint to being so far? Smith wasn't quite sure. Gaining the trust with the machine hadn't been easy. As it was, nothing was easy from the start to be given freedom from his cell. Finally, he had gotten it after a few months.

But it didn't feel so sweet with visitors.

He shrunk out of the light as the crowd went into the cell with his arms folded giving Robot a big stinky glare.

Robot turned in the direction of the mutated human.

"Booby. . ." Smith started.

"Yes, Doctor Smith?" Robot said, pressing a button, and they couldn't hear a sound from inside.

"You just brought all the women and children into MYYYY CELL!"

"Affirmative." Robot chirped.

He gestured toward the crowd of people in the cell.

"I said the child!" He held up a finger. "Singular!"

"Affirmative."

"Not children!" He folded his arms with a pout. "This isn't really fair." He unfolded his arms placing his hands on his hips. "Everyone learns _differently_ and it will be time consuming!"

Robot aimed the plasma blaster at Smith.

"That is not a problem," Robot said. "As I will be your assistant."

Robot pressed a button and sound returned then Spider slunk in.

"No problem it is." Spider turned around shifting his machine while facing the crowd. "What would you like to learn?"

"We like to learn the language and the ways of the Spaniards." Hopal said. "Much as you know."

"They were people with their code of honor." Spider said. "Senorita Hopal." the children and the women looked on toward him in intrigue and awe. Looks that unnerved him and threw him off. "It means a unmarried Spanish speaking woman. It's formal title. A bit like how you call your unmarried women by miss."

"And senor?" The child, the initial child, from earlier asked.

"Same applies to it as a man," Spider said. "Senor was a lot like. . ." He paused giving it some careful thought. "How you call a man by Mr."

"Okay, senor creature." the crowd acknowledged.

"Senor Arana Herrero." Spider corrected. "By the time you leave this room, no one outside of this ship shall understand you - save for later Earthly explorers - and that, my dears, is the tea."

Spider picked up a cup of sweet tea then took a sip before resuming.

"And you're going to learn to write it in it, too!" Spider said then went over to a machine then took out several booklets. He chucked one at a time to the crowd. "We are going to have quizzes, watch holomovies with Spanish, read in Spanish, and you're going to like it over your native language. It is a very beautiful and precious language to remember."

The cheering was enough to surprise Smith from the crowd's reaction as he stared them down and they continued cheering excitedly.

* * *

"Are you sure about allowing the children to be instructed by a stranger?" Marvis asked.

"These strangers are all we have," Yarvis said.

"Yes. . ." Marvis said. "But what if they are a mole?"

"Their ship is advanced." Yarvis said. "I have had this discussion already with their parents hundreds of times."

"And?"

"The child feels safe around him," Yarvis said. "That is all we have."

"Where is the instructor of the ship?" Marvis asked. "Hiding?"

"Somewhere." Yarvis said. "If they were a mole, why bring us out of our system and take us to the Tranquility System?"

"Got me there," Marvis said with a shrug. "I have no answer."

Yarvis smiled with a nod.

"Who would have thought. . . One thousand nine hundred ninety-three people fitting in this craft?" Yarvis looked around in awe. "Heavenly."

"God didn't send it." Marvis insulted.

"Someone did and it saved us." Yarvis said. "We are going the right way."

"How do you know that?" Marvis asked.

"Faith." Yarvis said.

"I don't know what is next after this," Marvis said. "But, it is only up to no good."

"This heavenship," Yarvis said. "Is equipped with so much knowledge. . ."

"It is," Marvis said. "Some days, it feels like this is made of crystal."

"Not metal," Yarvis said. "This must have been a difficult feat for the builders."

"Or not at all." Marvis said.

"We have only the facts about how to establish civilization to comfort us," Yarvis looked toward Marvis. "I look forward to seeing you putting some effort into this process."

"You make me sound like a space colonist." Marvis squinted then laughed at the older man.

"That is what we are, at this very moment, not just refugees." Yarvis said. "The future of our civilization relies us on us."

"What?" Marvis asked, mockingly. "Are we going to be kinder? A utopia?"

"Yes." Yarvis said.

"I don't know you can pull that off." Marvis shook her head.

"Me neither." Yarvis said. "But. . . we can try."

"Trying is all you have," Marvis said. "I like to see the fruit of your labors."

"But," Yarvis said. "None of us will live long enough to see it happen."

"That." Marvis nodded in agreement.

Marvis walked away and Yarvis looked out the side window.

* * *

Months passed with the bridge kept under lock and key from the Yaveens.

Robot made sure that he wasn't being watched when he went on shift when going to the bridge.

He was finding the chaos of teaching a already young civilization pieces of his homeworld was a exciting experience.

Different from the routine that he had became forced to be familiar to.

It wasn't just helping him, Robot, a machine. It was also helping the creature that once had been his friend. Someone who had once been human was slowly morphing into a approachable person with socialization - forced - and slowly relinquishing the need to hold the plasma blaster over his head. Spider didn't notice it at all with his attention on the students.

They were bringing him further out of the dark into the light. Further and further before he could start giving him doses of the cure at a time where the bridge from Spider to Smith could be completed. The right mental place was getting close to his claws. And the suppressors were laying in wait.

* * *

"Miss Marvis,"

Marvis turned away from the crowd that was hurling toward the meal hall.

"Yes, machine?" Marvis asked.

"You remind me of someone I used to know." Robot said earning a small laugh in return from her.

"I do that to everyone." Marvis said.

"You are equipped with a better fate than him." Robot said. "Don't waste it."

Marvis frowned.

"What happened to him?"

Robot paused before replying.

"He went into a comatose state," Robot said. "I am trying to get him out of it. And I am fighting for him. I don't like acting the way I have been for him."

"Ahhh," Marvis said. "That is why you are going to the back."

"Yes." Robot said. "I have been making significant progress."

"Has he responded?" Marvis asked.

"Sometimes." Robot said. "I need to give him painkillers to begin softening the transition. He is coming to."

"What happened to him?" Marvis asked, curiously.

"He was bitten by a spider." Robot replied as the last of the people went into the hall and the door closed. "A alien spider."

"How unfortunate for him."

Robot wheeled forward.

"If you step out of line then you will die." Robot grasped the woman by the shirt then smacked her against the paneling with his claw meeting the yellow beak of the Yaveen. "You will have no hope in escaping your fate unlike him."

Marvis squirmed out of Robot's grasp.

"I have no hope in seeing civilization come to!" Marvis said. "The pleasures of life, the technology to make it easier, and-"

"Your preferred social circle is gone." Robot said. "I have noticed. Painfully. You seem to know what you are doing compared to him."

Marvis stepped back with a frown from the machine then turned away.

"I know what I am doing," Marvis said.

"And that is what frightens me." Robot said. "Your dynamic with Yarvis. I feel, in my opinion, is what Doctor Smith would have continued to have with Professor Robinson." Marvis shifted toward the machine. "And should have _**HAD**_."

Robot turned away with anger radiating off his figure stroking his larger arm with his smaller one.

"He didn't know what he was doing when he went out there into space, didn't he?" Marvis asked, quietly.

Robot lowered his helm.

"None of us did." Robot said. "They were flying by the seat of their pants."

"We call it running off the hem of their pants." Marvis said. "I hope that he wakes up."

Marvis turned away then walked off ahead of the machine.

"I know that he will." Then Robot added in a small voice to himself. "So do I."

* * *

Robot decided to simulate winter one fine evening over the screech of the unhappy creature heard from the upper decks. The gray walls were coated in a layer of fog that was generated by the crystals and the appearance of trees were set up by the crystals encoded with highly advanced technology. The children played in the snow discarding the snowflakes with a shake as the snow flakes continued to fall as the colonists looked in awe stepping out of their improvised chambers.

Robot quickly readjusted the belly of the ship's temperature and the artificial snow was gone and extracted in to the artificial water supply. The list of insults hurled at him that morning were enough to convince Robot even further that he was going on the right path. And his atomic engine was beaming with pride. He slid forward out of the belly of the ship watering snow men being made by the children and the other members of the colony. Marvis was making a impressive castle with a few of the others when he crossed paths with him.

The child was the one to come down the belly of the ship and drag the partially dressed figure out of his chamber, with insistence, with aid, but restrained himself from going any further with much struggle against the children once in the fifth corridor when no answer came of their leading away from his corridor. He yanked himself out of their grip staggering back, sliding on the floor, then his facial features displayed shock, surprise, as his eyes widened. His struggle was short lived as he hit the neighboring wall.

Spider scowled at the children wrapped him from head to toe in improvised winter.

In all intents and purposes, he was a over wrapped alien figure coated in scarves.

"You look impressive, Senor Arana Herrero!"

"I do not-"

Spider slid forward then he was sliding back and forth, his arms swinging, as he stood unbalanced on the icy floor crying, "Oh sweet heavens! HELP."

He slipped and fell with a single step flying on past them.

"Senor-"

Spider smacked into a door then the neighboring snowman fell down on him. The glare that Spider gave the children was enough to send several snowmen melting behind them spontaneously. The children laughed throwing themselves back crashing to the ground bent forward clenching on to their stomachs. Spider formed a large ball of snow then rolled it up and tossed it at the first child who got up. The child frown then laughed.

"Snowball fight!"

The children were up on their feet making snowballs at a time.

"Oh dear."

The spider made a run for it.

"Senor Arana Herrero!" The child cried. "Come back!"

"Booby, help me!"

Robot appeared from the edge of a corridor tossing a ball up and down in his claw.

"Duck." Robot said.

The first child crashed then both teams proceeded to make balls of snow then threw them at each other.

It was the endearing and most amusing winter that Robot had simulated in a very _long_ time.

If only he was allowed to wake the Robinsons at this point in the voyage and the man's journey back to a repaired mind.

* * *

"Senor Arana Herrero."

Spider turned his attention off the children with barriers dividing each other as they were determined on the quizzes.

"Yes, Senorita Hopal?" He tilted his head. "Do you not have a spot to do your part of the quiz?"

Hopal raised her attention up toward his dulled blue eyes.

"Eres hermoso." Hopal said.

The creature stared Hopal down, at first shocked, startled, confused, then his features softened flattered by her reply.

"You have spent several weeks remembering and working up the courage to say that, my dear." Spider said.

Hopal had a small nod.

"Eres hermosa." was his reply to her then he directed Hopal to a chair. "Please, sit down and perform your part of the quiz."

Hopal nodded then went past him as he paused there taking in those unexpected positive words regarding his appearance.

He was touched by the gesture.

* * *

It was the final month of the Yaveens staying aboard the Jupiter 2 and they had absorbed in all the knowledge of the Spaniards.

Spider spent the rest of the evening introducing them to different Disney movies that sang.

And at the end of each day; the women and the children came out singing in cheer.

It was a uplifting aspect of the journey that was initially bound to end in tragedy, but it hadn't.

Robot was certain now that the man had no desire to eat other people and was adjusting well to human food.

* * *

"What does your name mean, Hopal?" Robot asked that night.

Hopal paused turning in the direction of the machine as she stood beside the doorway leading to her resting chamber.

"Hope for all." Hopal said. "My name is a blessing."

Robot bobbed his helmet up.

"Hope." Robot said. "Is a very appropriate name."

"It is," Hopal said.

"We need that blessing." Robot said. "For as long as we can."

Hopal's wings fluttered, then she hovered above the machine, then planted a kiss on his helmet then descended down.

"Keep it," Hopal said. "Long as you do not clean it. My blessing will remain. And you will always have it."

"I will never clean it." Robot said.

"Good night." Hopal said then left.

* * *

Later, after telling him what had happened that night; Spider cackled in such a way that it sounded it was Smith laughing. Not a demented spider hybrid. Robot made his move quite stirred. Spider ceased cackling then captured Robot's queen and knocked all the pieces on the chess board.

"Check mate."

Robot's helm twirled in shock.

"You deceived me!" Robot protested.

"You were compromised." Spider waved the queen. "I won."

"You cheated, _again_!" Robot said. "And this time we **HAD** the actual pieces!"

"Ah, do tell." Spider dropped the queen on to the table then eyed the creature. "I like to have a full eight hours of sleep since _I_ won this round."

Spider clasped his hands under his chin with his elbows on the table.

"You did win," Robot said. "I will give you the eight hours."

Spider grinned.

* * *

The ship was silent. The corridor to Spider's room had all the lights turned off. Members of the Yaveens were hiding in rooms from the sound of gunfire that echoed through the rooms. Robot turned on the holographic system of the chambers as the members fled through the ship running for their lives. They hid, silently, among the herd of the animals fighting back tears. Some of them hid in the rooms in the dark covering their beaks and others did the same for frantic members of the colonists. Robot panicked, at first, initially, then guided the Yaveens down the halls and the dead and the injured and the dying strewn about the corridors.

Robot's sensors indicated it was Marvis leading the charge and the doors were left open behind them.

Robot lead the charge into the belly of the ship then directly into another chamber withdrawing a crystal leading them in.

Marvis was holding on to a large weapon in her hands looking from side to side as the child peered out the corridor.

She flicked the lights on then slipped a finger on the console and the room was outlined in orange lighting that was beaming on and off. Yarvis acted as a shield for the children and the women with Robot in the lead beside him.

"I AM THE MOLE!" Marvis stepped forward close to the small crowd of colonists.

"I never thought of it." Yarvis said. "Why? Why? Why would you want to make your own people die?"

"I am not among your people," Marvis said. "I can flutter." She fired at Hopal and screams brought a sense of alarm as they surrounded the woman with a burn in her waist. "Not fly."

A shadowed figure crept behind Marvis. The air lost its smoothness and surreal feeling replaced by dread that covered over it. A flank of darkness screaming of death. But in the fact of that, as everyone looked up, save for Marvis, they began to grow optimistic. The group relaxed losing their tension, in front of the armed mole, beginning to smile and Robot lowered his claw. Marvis narrowed her eyes toward the crowd, aiming the large thick phaser back and forth, her grip trembling.

"What's the smiling for? A smile before death?" She aimed at the children in front of him. "Smiling because your troubles are going to be over?"

A hand grasped on to her shoulder.

"They are smiling because a monster from the abyss is going to save them." A voice came from behind her as claws dug into Marvis's shoulder then the voice came closer to her ear. "And they are all going to live happily. Ever._ After_."

Spider yanked the weapon out of her hand with his lower hand then flung it aside as his left hand grasped the woman by the side of the face and his lower left hand grasped along her neck changing position from the shoulder. Marvis began to sweat with a tremble as everyone grew smiles and relief. She looked around as the crowd began to empty the room and it became apparent.

"Stop! Don't leave me here!" Marvis demanded. "You tricked me here!"

"You did that all yourself," Robot said as Yarvis and another woman helped Hopal out of the room. "They didn't know that that the monster in the belly of the ship and my friend are one and the same."

Spider kept her still as he smelled the woman then began to purr in delight and yanked the woman's arm behind her back with a sharp but quick and effective movement. Marvis screamed as the creature's teeth dug into her sleeves into her flesh, through the bone, then clamped down searing it off. Blood squirted onto his face and Spider grinned. Spider chewed one piece at a time as Marvis screamed for help in a pool of her blood. Marvis crawled to the doorway of the craft with her remaining free arm with her clothing becoming stained with each tug.

She came closer to the doorway that had Robot standing in front of it. Marvis was desperate dragging herself forward seeing a doorway for hope. A potential way to escape her fate. All up until Spider stepped on her back then bent his leg in stabbing down into the spinal column. Spider grinned as Marvis whimpered looked up then caught three items that were thrown at him. She looked up toward the doorway as her beak met the floor.

"Salad dressing?" Spider looked up, baffled, frowning.

"Hot sauce and human blood do not go well together." Robot said.

"You don't know that and neither do I." Spider said.

"That is why I allow them to explore the Jupiter 2 with a monster in her belly." Robot said. "In the event of this happening. Does that answer your question?"

"Delightfully so, my dear." Spider said. "I will enjoy this feast slowly."

"And it won't be the last if we find more frightful fractious frump like her." Robot said.

Spider looked up toward Robot then smiled, so Smith like, yet so entirely different.

"Tell them they are welcome to visit," Spider said. "and thank them for this prized meal."

"H-h-h-help me." Marvis plead.

"You know what you were doing fully well." Robot said. "This is the due you must pay."

Robot stood in the doorway then slid a crystal in over her shriek and the doorway became coated by a wall of diamond.

"Noo_OO_oo!" Marvis screamed.

Robot turned away then followed after the crowd as Marvis's pained screams echoed as Spider proceeded to eat her slowly.

* * *

Tranquility returned into the ship.

The wounded were tended to, the dying bounced back from the brink of death, and the dead were given space burials in space in blankets and jetted out the torpedo bays. Tears were shed even from the men, closing their eyes, openly weeping for the loss of their close members and lowered their heads. The late egg laying was triggered for the pregnant and they shed their eggs and had to be incubated.

Robot was fascinated as he listened to their fetal heartbeats, watching the mothers from time to time shift the eggs position, dotting, and lovingly, even for the ones abandoned by the grieving mothers who rejected them. It was odd yet a perfect image of bouncing back from the edge of a heinous crime and others helping each other. They cradled the eggs every so often in their arms and pressed their heads against the shell, listening to the chirps, their eyes lighting up.

Everything was fine now. It was getting better in a new version of itself. They were getting closer to the Tranquility System. It was only two days away from the present course of the Jupiter 2. The floor to Spider's chamber was cleaned with strange machines that fascinated him. Apart from that, some of the members showed signs of stoicism.

Restraint that was hurting them and they acted unlike themselves in the next few hours. So Robot reported it to the doctor. A part of Smith crept out afterwards and requested to speak with them for ten minutes at a time through Hopal. When they returned from his chamber, they were in a mess of themselves but they were visibly better than how they had entered the chamber. All in all; everything was getting better.

"We are two days away from a Class M planet in the Tranquility System."

Robot's report over the intercomn sent the colonists into a cause of celebrations that lasted for two days.

* * *

The Jupiter 2 was greeted by war ships.

There was silence in space as they fired upon her.

The crafts fired upon the darkened spacecraft that absorbed each blow and the damage was immedietely repaired a second after the damage appeared.

"What in the black hole is going on with this craft?" the general asked.

"Sir, energy readings are soaring off the roof!"

The general walked forward toward the front window looking on.

"Report to central of these proceedings," the general stared at the ship that was beginning to glow. "Who in their mind would design a craft to be a_ maziko_?"

"Live transmission is being exchanged with central."

The general searched through the craft then a voice came over the intercomn.

"I will remain here for the foreseeable future." Robot's voice chirped over. "This is a new civilization that poses no threat. Or desire to mingle with your civilization. Consider this planet off limits."

"What if we don't?" The general asked.

A blast of light annihilated the craft beside the general's vessel killing three hundred forty-three people.

"If I hear one word of this colony being destroyed, I will turn this ship around and destroy every ship building yard and every mining facility then I will destroy your capitals."

The crew on the bridge and the dictator, the other generals, and the entire world were listening to the Robot's threats in real time feeling disgust, horror, terror, and paralyzed by the threat.

"Your colonies will lose their crafts." Robot's voice continued. "I will destroy everything that is of technology and you will live to see yourselves back to the stone age. And I will make sure it stays that way."

Silence was carried from point to point.

"Do I not make myself clear?"

The general paled.

"Clear." The general said. "We will be on our way."

The communications ended then the Jupiter 2 began to make her descent down to the planet.

* * *

The Jupiter 2 lowered down to the ground then the hangar bay doors slid down and the colonists came storming down and admired the idyllic land. Yarvis looked toward Robot then shed a small smile with the machine by his side and his arm was in a support sling, recovering, from the disaster that had threatened his life. He turned his attention upon the children that flapped their arms then flew into the air then back down and proceeded to play a game of tag.

"Robot. . ." Yarvis said. "thank you."

"You are welcome." Robot said.

"We owe you, senor Robot."

"You cannot repay me."

"We will find a way. Some day. To help you."

"I look forward to that day." Robot said. "Perhaps. I will meet your great grand-descendant and welcome them to Alpha Prime A."

"Some day could be a reality when it comes to you." Yarvis cackled then grew solemn. "Senor Robot, keep that monster."

Robot twirled toward Yarvis.

"I intend to do so." Robot said, darkly. "He will be the last resort should Global Sedition secure the Jupiter 2, the Robinsons, and the planet."

"Have you spoken of it with him?" Yarvis asked.

Robot's helm twirled, gravely.

"I will have that conversation with him when he calls himself Doctor Smith," Robot said. "The opportunity to make the choice and become a monster will make the process a lot better than how it was the first time."

"We like to thank your amigo." Yarvis said.

"In what way?" Robot asked.

"In a few weeks, we intend to have a community picnic once we have clay houses up. And I am sure we can find those deposits with your help."

"I am ready and willing to aid in colonization efforts." Robot said. "I am unfortunate to say that we can't stay long or share our equipment."

"It is along trip to Alpha Prime A." Yarvis said. "And your prime directive."

"Affirmative." Robot said.

"You can spare two weeks, can you?" Yarvis said.

"We can spare two weeks." Robot said.

"Senor Robot, play hide and seek with us!" The children cried. "Come on, Robot!"

With their combined strength was tugged away with little resistance against them over the laughter of Yarvis.

* * *

"The Yaveens would like you to be there." Robot reported.

Spider froze with his back to him at the announcement.

"To what?" Spider whirred toward him with a heated glare. "Watch them go? To walk away just as they had entered my life?"

"They want their rescuer to stay a while and enjoy the planet for a day" Robot said. "We wouldn't have been down there at all if it hadn't been for you, Doctor Smith."

"And you know this will delay your mission." Spider reminded.

"By a few days," Robot said.

"Can I go without my suit this time?" Spider plead.

"If you can go without cloak," Robot said, empathically. "then sure."

"That is articles of clothing," Spider argued. "digital dunce."

"That is a defensive mechanism." Robot argued back. "Not articles of clothing. Doctor Smith, if you like to be outside then you are to be hoodless. They have already seen you for what you are."

Spider walked away folding his arms thinking it over quite uncomfortable by the request.

"They are not afraid of you." Robot wheeled after the man. "They accept for _who_ you are not _what_ you were. Something we should have done a long time ago." Spider raised his head up then turned sideways toward Robot. "I can create a appendage to cover your spider abdomen and conceal the underside with the egg sac."

"How about no on that issue. It would be a fairly ugly image. Jiggling egg sac." Spider shuddered. "Can I at least wear a shirt and shorts?"

"Yes." Robot said. "Do not-"

"Lay my egg sac," Spider said, exasperated. "_I know_."

Robot left the corridor then returned and chucked the articles of clothing into Spider's arms.

"Get dressed." Robot requested.

Spider scanned the outer wear.

"Why did you chose purple as a secondary theme?" Spider asked, puzzled. "And green! Green is too lively for me! Hideous! Ugly!"

"It looks good on you." Spider half-expected for the plasma blaster to be waved in the air above him with the tone of his voice that was being used. "And it isn't covered in glitter, Doctor Smith."

"Is that a threat?" Spider asked.

"No. You are hearing things." Spider extended his neck looking behind Robot to see the plasma blaster was lowered. "I am not being threatening."

Spider retracted his head down.

"Get out." Spider requested. "Please."

Robot wheeled out of the corridor and the door closed behind him then Spider looked toward the clump of adjusted clothing including a familiar long sleeved field jacket. He saw a rolled up bunch of gloves that were part of the collection. _Booby doesn't even trust me with my fingernails. Hmph. _And a specialized type of boots were among them heavily modified to his shape.

He stripped himself of the cloak, carefully setting it aside, then slid on the pants and strapped them on along his thigh as if it were velcro, and his short sleeved shirt was the same. Spider slipped on the thick gloves that made his hands feel and look weird at first glance, even human, with a unusual long fingernail bed. He journeyed out of the room then came to a pause in the doorway. The door opened with Robot in the lead with a small bucket of red paint. It was roughly the size of a cup.

"Can you paint my claws first?" Robot asked.

Spider stared, incredulously, toward Robot.

"Why?" Spider asked.

"I like my grill to go with my lower claws." Robot said.

"Ah, I see. I will do that." Spider took out the paint brush then quickly applied paint on the claws. "Feel better?"

"I feel the Robot that I am supposed to be." Robot slid aside then gestured him on. "Thank you."

Spider took a tentative step forward with his eyes narrowed toward Robot then stepped out. He noticed the animals were being guided out of their rooms.

"They have made the necessary fences for their livestock, have they?" was asked, softly.

"Yes." Robot said. "They have. They are throwing a festival for you. Senor Arana Herrero."

"Fessstivaaal?" Smith drawled. "Honoring me? How. . . stunning. Surely what I deserve!"

"They called it a picnic." Robot amended. "Preparations say it is a festival."

"Picnic!" Smith bolted through the corridor. "Wait for me! Wait for me! Can't start a party without the sun!"

Robot's helm twirled in amusement as he laughed as his processors could simulate a later festival, long from now, featuring spider parades in different versions and people eating. In time, he would become a minor deity and so would Robot to them. He wondered if they would remember the Jupiter 2 at all. Perhaps, it was better off not being recalled. He followed after Smith through the corridor as the machines cleaned up the fallen cup of paint.

* * *

During the picnic, Robot found the egg sac.

He bobbed his helm up quite alarmed then turned on his advanced sensors.

His advanced sensors indicated the man was playing ring toss, paying no attention to himself at all. He wasn't thinking about the egg sac, his form, or the circumstances that lead him there. It was all shoved into the background. If he had laid the eggs, it would be forefront on his mind. Robot switched the settings of his plasma blaster to vaporizer then aimed at the fallen bundle. In a second, all of it was gone.

He returned his attention on then picked up a tomato and threw it at the representation of the dictator.

The dolled up dictator fell into the acid and melted away to the cheer of the people around Robot.

* * *

The festival ended four days after and the men returned to the Jupiter 2. Spider changed out of the long sleeved outfit into the thick and dark cloak, employing its warm, against the bitter cold of the ship that wasn't regulated for his specific temperature. He put aside the clothing in his chamber then was beckoned on by Robot to the hangar bay of the Jupiter 2 upon the request of the people. He looked out of the Jupiter 2 toward the crowd of people who handed in crates of meat for them then descend down the platform watching them go up.

"Left overs." Hopal said.

"We will take it." Robot said.

The children looked up toward Spider with smiles once he paused in front of them.

"Are you staying, Senor Arana Herrero?" The child asked.

Spider shook his head.

"I have to go." Spider said then started to walk away.

"Arana Herrero," The child - in the lead - said. The child grasped on the side of his cloak stopping the spider in his tracks wrapping himself around the man's double legs tying them together with his arms. "Please, don't go."

Spider looked down, grimacing, withdrawing the child from his cloak and his double legs. He closed his eyes for a moment then reopened them and turned toward the child. Spider knelt down to his level then his fingers clasped around the child's chubby but partially feathered fingers.

"I can't stay," Spider said. "Wish I could."

"You can stay." the second child plead. "You are grown."

"If I did, it just wouldn't be fair to you or your people." he motioned his attention toward the community. "Your people would be a designated and environmental threat if I stay." he pat lightly on the child's hands then looked around toward the crowd of children. "You don't need this monster to stay."

"And they would wipe you out." Robot agreed. "Someone else needs this old monster."

Spider glared hissing up toward Robot.

"You're never going to be old to me," The child said then Spider turned his attention upon the child. "Age isn't a thing for us."

Spider scanned the crowd of couples that ranged in age.

"Nor is it a insult," Robot said. "It makes complete sense regarding your confusion about the words antiguo and antigua."

Spider got up to his feet using Robot's treads as his support.

"But age will be to the stories that we retell of you." Yarvis said. "You will age well." Robot went up the platform entering the Jupiter 2 first. "That, I assure you, senors."

Spider nodded with a sly smile then ascended up the platform coming to a pause by Robot.

"We should go visit real prairies often." Was all Spider said.

Robot turned away from Smith.

"Affirmative." Robot said.

Robot pressed a button once the last the Yaveens had descended. The child turned toward them then waved back at them and smiled broadly back at them. The creature watched the child be forced back from the craft with a lone hand giving it more space to depart the landmass. The child became part of the massive crowd that waved the craft off at a distance. One by one the colonists lowered their hands.

"Do you think that we will ever see them again?" Hopal asked.

"No," Yarvis said. "Not in this lifetime."

"Are they going to reach their promised planet?" Hopal asked. "Do you sense that?"

"I have faith in them." Yarvis smiled, optimistically, and hopeful turning his gaze on toward Hopal then turned his gaze toward the fleeing glistening Jupiter 2. "They have already reached their promised existence."

* * *

**A/N**

buenas noches- good night

Senor nino - mr boy.

senor arana herrero=mr spider smith.

Eres hermoso (sa) = you are beautiful.

antiguo and antigua= old man, old woman.

I. . . I. . I have 4k written for ch 4. I just need to CONNECT THE SCENES TO THE ENDING. This was supposed to be the last chapter but the chain of events just kind of said 'how about no'.

You can pry it out of my dead hands the headcanon that Zorro exists in all AU's of LiS as someone who lived and his legend became adapted by those who _remembered_ him and relayed his stories to their children for generations.

Maziko= pancake.

A family can be a modified starship, a mutated spider smith, Robot, and a bunch of scared winged humanoids.


	4. Belief in hope

Robot lured Spider through the corridors of the Jupiter 2 then took a turn and the circular door slid open revealing the basic necessities of the kitchen. The kitchen appeared well taken care of and clean. Spider admired the aesthetic of it. It appeared to be made of metal but in reality, with a single screech, it became clear it was a regeneratable unusual crystal just like the rest of the ship. He looked at it curiously then turned toward Robot.

"Why did you bring me into this kitchen?" Spider asked.

"It is time that we flexed your cooking skills." Robot said.

"Me?" Spider put a hand on his chest, appalled, awestruck. "COOKING? No! Never!"

"Then you're going to starve and die." Robot said.

"Is this your way of telling me that I have to provide for myself?" Spider asked, lifting a eyebrow ridge.

"Yes." Robot said. "I have greatly expanded your privileges in the last few years as you have been. . . improving."

"Improving." Spider said. "You mean doing tedious and unnecessary actions."

"You are using silverware to eat your food and a napkin." Robot reminded. "That is a drastic improvement."

"Hmph." Spider rolled a eye folding his arms turning his back to Robot. "What I really like to eat is strictly finger food."

"Time for you to brush up on how to cook." Robot said. "Make yourself a sandwich." Robot wheeled forward as the creature grimaced at the machine's statement. "You are ready to be trusted with cooking tools."

"Disgusting." Spider said. "I like chicken legs better."

"It is faster and the effort is worth the time." Robot wheeled out then paused but handed off the gloves to him. "You will find the ingredients waiting in the fridge."

Spider looked toward the food pantry, reluctantly, t hen put on the gloves.

"Why do I need gloves?" Spider asked.

"To become familiar to them when you need to use them as the cook for our good guests!" Robot said. "I will return in twenty-five minutes and you better be eating when I return." he leaned halfway out the doorway then wheeled away. "Tomorrow, we start with making scrambled eggs."

Robot wheeled out of the chamber and Spider shuddered.

* * *

"Are you sure that you can trust these people?" Spider asked.

"Affirmative." Robot said.

"When people are determined on a task, they mask their thoughts, their faces, it is hard to tell if they are being truthful." Spider said. "Like me." He lowered his gaze. "You have just met them two standard hours ago and now you are willing to let them in you? This is gravely concerning." He was bothered by the set of facts. "On most occassions in this long journey, it has taken several of your weeks to allow them in and repair some minor part."

"I carry a risk of a atomic engine leak. You will die." Robot said. "And the Robinsons will awaken."

"And they will fix your little problem." Spider said. "Why are you believing them? It can't be the engine leak, my boobed friend. The chances are highly unlikely." He lifted a long index finger up. "Is something bothering you?"

"No." Robot declined. "I want to have a heart that won't threaten any passing visitor for the time being." Robot turned away then admitted in a small voice. "I enjoy our outings on planets."

His eyes flashed open at the revelation as certain facts that he had released came together then frowned.

"You worry about everything, worry wart." Spider said. "Do I need to do a wireless reprogramming of your concern protocols?"

"Even if you wanted to, the Jupiter 2 would not allow for that." Robot said. "You are not allowed as a administrator."

"Not for a great hacker like I," His eyes flashed open with a smile. "I can take care of that little problem." He glared down the machine. "If you let me help."

"No." Robot declined.

"Time for you to go to jail then," Spider said. "You've been framed for murder." He moved his piece on the platform and grinned. "And I get a billion dollars!"

* * *

The Jupiter 2 was once more silent, decades into her long voyage. Darkness penetrated every hull and crack of her shielding. Silence was the only sound that was to be heard. A figure moved among the shadows shifting through materials searchingly, frantic, determining what they were and what was the problem with the unresponsive parts. Creatures, humanoid, with large eyes, tall ears, and fur that coated their figures were walking through the corridor with laughter from across.

"Can you believe that machine believed we were going to give him a solar engine instead a atomic engine?" The first lieutenant asked.

"We can't give him that because we are not meant to be working with the light!" the security chief said.

"Light is very dangerous," the captain noted.

"Thankfully, he listened to us and turned off all the lights," the first lieutenant said.

"Boys, did you hear that?" A member stopped as a figure darted past them. "Something else is in here."

"There is only one lifeform." replied the captain. "That machine was the lifeform."

"We didn't find any organic processes in it," replied the crewmember as a dark feeling crept over them. "I think we went into the wrong ship."

"Superstitious." The lieutenant rolled their eyes.

"This ship is perfect." The captain said. "Can house all of our troops and send them to war en masse!"

"It is perfect." the security chief agreed.

"I don't think it is perfect as you say it is. I am getting out of here." the crewmember vanished and it was down for four.

"Coward." The second lieutenant said.

"What can you say? Engineer, spooked by the slightest of sounds by the ship, they are always this way in old geezers."

"Hmm. Let's check that robot. Just to be certain that we are alone." The captain said. "Might find out the organic process."

"This ship is already off course as it is to the original destination, I really doubt they are interested in talking, captain."

"Lieutenant, man the course."

"Aye, captain."

The crew dwindled down to three as the small team went down the corridor. The fourth crewmember went to the console and began to slide their fingers on the material when they were grasped by the shoulders then their head was snapped with a single jolt. They fell with a light thud. And the figure was picked up. And the sound of liquid hitting the floor could be heard echoing down, lightly, from the other half of the corridor.

One by one the members of the crew turned on the lights on their shoulders and the path of them became highlighted. They came closer and closer until they paused in their tracks. A large towering thin creature was looming over the empty chassis - resembling a boombox- of a large machine that had been taken apart only minutes ago with his lower two hands on it and he hissed raising his head up staring back toward them. It was a unworldly creature that was pitch black, with all four rows of teeth standing out, a creature that could have only came from Hell itself.

The creature tapped on a series of buttons on a large device on his forearm. Then a forcefield was generated over his skin. And a evil glint went off in his eyes. He didn't say a word but proceeded to bring himself up to his feet standing over them in a towering way and his neck stretched out as his legs and arms folded to that of a roughly humanoid spider was standing. The spider flew after them, tackling them, ripping them apart limb from limb, over their screams.

"All. of. it. was._ liiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeesssssssss_."

His eyes lowered down toward the captain as phaser blasts were firing at him and missing at every point, he drew closer, intimidatingly, a unstoppable force, undeterred.

Spider grasped the captain by the shirt then lifted them up staring them in the eyes.

"You will be eaten last for taking my dear friend apart."

Spider smacked the captain against the wall and they were gone.

* * *

Smith awoke in the darkened ship and met by a fresh wave of pain stirring from his bones. There was little sound to hear in the corridor. His eyes winced in pain as he flung over to his side grasping on his figure. Familiar pain that was haunting and agonizing to him. He clenched his hands together laid on his side, his eyes squeezed shut, he could have done for some sedatives.

"Oh, the pain. . ." Then he screamed. "The pain!"

He let out a scream that echoed through the ship until he was done. Until he could release all those feelings tied to it and his grip over his emotional well being tightened. And he could recompose himself. His figure trembled as he hugged himself searching through the darkness that didn't have definite shape. He searched above for the light fixtures.

"How strange," Smith noted, looking from side to side, perplexed. "The lights are all out."

His vision was poor and awful as he squinted, adjusting his vision, his once clear vision had difficulty adapting to the darkness. He felt around the halls until his fingers found something long and hard, but with softened flat edges. He slid it down and the lights above his head popped out to life. He wandered through the area. What had happened? He could only recall watching the sun set with Will . . . The rest was hazy. Foggy. A nightmare.

"H-h-h-h-h-ello?"

Smith looked from side to side, frightened, holding his hands in his lap.

"William? Professor? Doctors? Major? Judy?"

Smith heard tapping around him as he stepped forward and his heart raced.

"Anyone there?"

Smith quietly walked and the noise stopped. He came to a pause spotting the familiar scattered about on the floor in several pieces. And his heart fell into several pieces at seeing the damage. The fury, the outrage, and the feelings seeing him that way began to make him growl, his facial features twitching, clenching his hands in his lap. It was beneath the Robot. Humiliating even disgusting to see him scattered about the floor this way.

The Robinsons were some where and the aliens that had taken him had put apart Robot then abandoned him after finding what they needed. He arrived to the machine then gathered the parts in his arms and retreated into the room that he had awoke in. He knelt down then put Robot together piece by piece with care connecting his large treads. It took hours at a time, shifting through his memories, with determination. Robot by all appearances, was undamaged even his prized mechanical parts. _It wasn't a firefight_, Smith became convinced.

Then how and why was Robot in pieces?

After several tries, shifting through the pieces like parts of a puzzle, Robot was put together and the atomic engine kicked to life.

"Good morning, booby."

Robot bobbed his helm.

"Doctor Smith! You're back! You're back!" His helm twirled. "I did it! I did it! I did it!"

"Did what?" Smith asked. "What in the heavens are you celebrating for?"

"You're YOU!" Robot said, his voice on the edge of sobbing then Smith tilted his head.

"Yes, I am me." He folded his arms. "What else is new? Where are the Robinsons? Where is William?"

"I can't believe it took this to bring you out of your mind," Robot said. "I shouldn't be shocked and surprised."

"Yet, you are." Smith said. "What are you referring to, my dear bosom?"

"Your mental recovery." Robot said.

Smith used the table as his support squinting at the machine then heard the familiar clicks beneath him and froze.

And Robot knew it was too early for him to have came out.

"Do-do-don't look down, Doctor Smith." Robot plead as his voice trembled. "Please, don't."

Smith looked down and shrieked as he absorbed in every changed detail of his figure. He jumped back, horrified, dejectedly, frightened as his other hands slid out from under his arm with a tremble. In a instant, he recoiled back where he had came from and the spider took over. His figure became still and his horror became intrigue. Robot's atomic engine began to ache feeling the pain of losing him again. He was so_ close_. Still was and he nearly had him in his grasps.

The spider was back scanning his hands quite curiously tilting his head and observing his additional hands. Robot was trembling as he wheeled forward feeling, his atomic engine's sensor readings felt as if they had been kicked and severely damaged when they had not, his claw stretching out the spider. He slowly looked down toward the machine.

"Ah, brand new!" Spider clapped his hands together with a loud smack then rubbed them. "I knew I would get you put together after a good nap."

Robot's claw was trembling as he lowered it down and Spider frowned.

"Is something wrong, my dear old friend?" Spider asked.

"I am fine, Doctor Smith." Robot said.

"I heard they changed the course," Spider said. "We could be off by a few days."

"A few days of delay is nothing." Robot said. "I will correct the course."

Robot became still as he wheeled on ahead of Spider.

* * *

One day, Robot threw a cardboard on the table.

"What game are we playing now, jailer?"

The creature was keeping his distance away from him as Robot kept his claw aiming at him.

"Puzzle."

His claw was trained on his figure sending him to be wary and on his feet.

"A simple meager game is beneeeath me."

Robot opened the package then tipped it upside down sending the contents flying on the table and kept the plasma blaster aimed at him.

"Your previous state of mind is beneath you, Doctor Smith." Robot said. "This is right at your level."

The creature eyed back at the machine staring at him with one hand on the lid of the cardboard box.

"What is your intentions playing puzzle? Is this to distract me? From what you have going out there?"

"Negative," Robot backtracked out of the doorway then pressed a button and the forcefield came back up. "It is a surprise."

Robot flew out of the corridor and his two eyes tailed after him watching him vanish down the corridor.

"What has him in such a hurry?"

He looked toward the mass of puzzle pieces.

* * *

Will tumbled down to the floor then shook his head and rubbed his shoulders. Robot dropped a warm blanket on his shoulders then waited for him to come to in the meeting room. He handed Will a glass of hot chocolate and the teenager downed it. It took some time but with a good meal, the teenager was wide awake and not as groggy.

"Are we there, yet?" Will asked.

"Negative." Robot replied.

"Something wrong with the engines?" Will asked.

"Negative." Robot said.

"Robot, what is the matter?" Will asked, concerned.

"I am trying to retreat Doctor Smith out of the fractured mind." Robot reported. "I have found a suppressor."

Will shook his head.

"Robot, it won't work. Suppressors won't last for long. Besides, he will need a new one to replace that once his body becomes immune against it."

"I want my friend back." Was all Robot said. "I will be armed. He will not pose any danger to you."

"How can you trust him?" Will asked.

"I said I will be armed," Robot reminded. "I have the door unlocked."

"Robot!" Will stood up to his feet. "Are you mad!?"

"Not," Robot said. "If he is as self-preserving as Doctor Smith, then there is hope that he can be retrieved and live a human life that is possible." He twirled toward the doorway. "He hasn't come here so there is hope."

Will slowly sat back into the chair.

"Robot. . ." Will said. "How long have you been doing this project?"

"A great while," Robot said.

"Robot, I don't think it is going to go the way you want it. All the bitter failures we had to face before dad accepted that he is never going to get cured. And before I had to accept it. . ." Will looked back, sadly. "You said so yourself, he is never coming back."

"I was wrong." Robot said. "I will be the first to admit that."

"We were lucky that he held himself together that long until we came across Hastia." Will said.

"He had a chance to be a semi-operational hybrid being acting close to the man that we know and we lost it there." Robot admitted. "He has fallen deep into his mind. Concealed himself, a place where he can be happy, but he has been breaking it apart with session. With time, perhaps I can give him a tour!"

"Robot," Will said, exasperated, lowering his head. "That thing is playing you."

"My sensors indicate he is not," Robot said. "I would know. With help, counseling, and some attempts at doing psychological acts to make him to come to terms with his newly born half, he will be the annoying Doctor Smith that we both loathe and love. Hope is all I have."

"Have you been lonely?" Will asked. "You could always take me out and spend some time with me if you liked."

"I will not answer that question." Robot said. "It is important you age along with your family. My processors have told me that he will be a old man once we get to Alpha Prime A. And it is the perfect time to reestablish his presence. Before I use the suppressors. The pain killers have been easing his mind to someone similar to the Doctor Smith that we use to know."

Will had a long exasperated sigh.

"How long have you had him out of time stasis?" Will asked.

"I rather not answer." Robot said.

"Five?"

"No comment."

"Six?"

"No."

"So five?"

Robot turned away, now by far, silent.

"The beginning was difficult. It was painful." Robot admitted. "It has gotten easier over time."

"How long have you been doing this?" Will asked, concerned.

"A long time, Will." Robot turned toward Will.

"And you think you're close enough to getting him to become Doctor Smith again." Will said.

"Yes." Robot said.

"Robot, let him stay frozen in time if you think you are so close." Will said.

"I like to have him human before I do that and surprise the family." Robot said.

"So, this is a surprise." Will said.

"Yes." Robot said. "We need company."

"What game did you pick?"

"I chose candy land, dungeons and dragons, monopoly, and a majestic elaborate puzzle piece that would get on Doctor Smith's nerves."

Will shook his head.

"Just for one game." Will held his finger up. "And that is it."

"I accept that." Robot said.

"That is all I want to be part of." Will folded his arms then looked aside, grimacing, wincing. "Unlike you." He picked up his pace. "I don't want that false hope."

"Understood." Robot said. "I left him with a very complicated puzzle. He is having difficulty. I know it."

"Spider is probably eating it." Will said.

Robot's helm twirled.

"Follow me." Robot said.

The teenager followed after Robot to the lower half of the ship then stopped once he saw the creature was solving the puzzle.

"I have only gotten him so far because he called me 'You insidious ninny' in our fifth session and I have not gave up on him since then." Robot said. "And don't you dare call him Spider Smith!" He aimed his claw at Will as a sudden flare of rage heated up within him and Will took a step back. "I have been making significant progress in making him act human, dress human, and regard himself as something similar to being a human!"

Will nodded after listening for a short while.

"Robot, he wasn't talking like himself." Will whispered. "How did you get him to call you. . . by _that_?"

"I told him that I caught a corpse and was studying it when it had attacked me in the med lab." Robot elaborated. "I sterilized everything afterwards."

"And?"

"And collected the scrap metal and sterilized that as well."

"What did you do with the space zombie?"

"I shot it at the head and cooked it then recycled it into plate that you were eating from."

"Robot!"

"They picked the wrong Robot to startle!"

"Robot, throw that away."

"No."

"Robot."

"Nyet."

"This is going to go no where."

"Affirmative."

"So, how long has he gone a complete year?"

Robot's helm twirled and Will frowned as it became apparent that he hadn't lived a entire standard year.

"I space time out with him drastically. Once, I spent a entire year with him unfrozen and he caught a space flu. I do not know how he caught the space flu. It does not compute. . . well, I did have some visitors from time to time."

Will smacked his forehead.

"He ate them." Will said.

"No." Robot said. "Not all of them."

"So. . . some?"

"There are things we both did to make sure the Jupiter 2's crew remained asleep and people who asked for our help,"

"You don't want to talk about it."

"Affirmative."

"So bad people?"

"After making a 'pre-mortem one liner' to them," Robot said. "_Then_ he ate them."

"And you let him?" Will asked, appalled.

"I had no choice." Robot said.

"Robot. . . You always have a choice." Will said. "I'll think about it. Give me some time. If I don't come back in a day, I'll be in my pod."

Will walked away then Robot twirled toward the interior of the cell.

* * *

Will thought long and hard about giving in to his friend's request to be there. It wasn't a direct request but it was implied. A implication that Will was unsure about giving in to when it came to his childhood friend's request. Someone who he had brought back from the dead with a single act of defiance against death itself. A act of desperation to save someone who that he could put back together. Who went on to put someone else together with little help or instruction on how to carry this out.

Someone who he had grown up and seen the change that had undertaken the man. A part of Will wasn't quite sure if the machine remembered history the way that it had happened with the older man. He wasn't going to be quite young for long if Robot kept this up, reeling Smith back even closer, further back into his old self. Something that he had once said only what had been three years ago to him.

But, Robot's insistence regarding Spider's words, and the memory of the smallest form of hope in his body language, made him give it a try.

* * *

He came back hours later to the cell that had been specifically crafted for the creature. And his friend was still there but holding on to two small packages between his peered in the room spotting the cloaked figure looming over the halfway completed puzzle with his lower two arms in fists, staring down at the clump of puzzles.

"And you're still here." Will said.

"I was programmed to reach a objective goal when it came to the colonization of Alpha Prime A," Robot said. "You programmed me to be that way."

"The other Will Robinson did," Will said. "I look nothing like him."

"Affirmative." Robot said.

"Are you really ready to do this?" Will asked, quite unsure, yet afraid looking on toward the creature.

Robot twirled toward the teenager then back toward the panel.

"I have never been more ready," Robot said. "For I have been in the dark, but not too long, to recognize the light that I have made."

Robot slid out a crystal and sound returned as the creature smacked his fist against the table staring down the puzzle few puzzle pieces.

"Doctor Smith," Robot said.

Spider scowled looking toward the two.

"Who is this stranger?" Spider scowled. "Another ship wrecked traveler? Another lost colonist? A space astronaut?" then he added bitterly staring off in the direction of Robot then put his hands on the table with a loud slam then began to prop himself up. "Another 'helpless' - " his eyebrow ridges raised at once with a questioning demeanor. "person who has evil intentions?"

"Neither." Was all Robot replied.

"Tell me yourself. What are your intentions being here, you fiend!" He pointed at the teenager then his tone grew threatening then towered over Will in the next instant. "Tell me or I will eat you alive later and spare my friend of all the trouble."

Will's face fell as he felt pieces of his heart be crushed and Robot put a claw on the teenager's shoulder.

"You used to call me William," Will said. "I am Will Robinson."

"Never met you before." Spider said.

"Called me Robinson Boy. Remember?" Will prodded. "You followed me into this cell."

Spider waved his hand with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't recall."

"You were there." Will said. "You should recal-"

"No matter." Spider cut him off waving his hand returning to the table. "I have met too many people to keep track of them. Hard to recall when every day there is a new visitor and they leave then never show up in our paths."

Will frowned then looked toward Robot.

"Is that true?" Will asked.

"Not every of your standard days." Robot insisted. "Sometimes they have stayed for several of your months. Remember?"

Spider scowled.

"Why did you bring him in?" Spider asked.

Robot dropped another box to the table.

"We're playing Dungeons and Dragons." Robot said. "You are going to be a market man joining along this quest because riches and overcharging people for cheap merchandise, Doctor Smith."

"A merchant? No fun? No appendages? No ugliness? That is horrible!" Spider cried. "Oh, the shame of it all! The shame of it all!"

"Work with it." Robot said. "Will, you can be anyone that you wish to be."

"I like to be a knight." Will said.

"First, we finish this puzzle then get the game started!" Spider insisted, smacking his fist against the table, snarling. "I won't let this game begin without that!"

"Fine, fine, Doctor Smith." Robot said.

* * *

It was a long day with breaks between the game.

Will was still not used to the older man being there.

Let alone nearly talking like himself when preparing to roll the dice.

The situations that, Robot, as the dungeon master brought them into made Will cry in a fit of laughter at the silly but simple plots in which the spider was playing his fragile counterpart. And a simple, but large flare of hope, that Will had only seen long ago had become highlighted in his words.

Spider went on ignoring the unexpected reaction from the teenager while studying up on the concept of the creatures Robot had introduced into the game.

_Hope. _

Hope that changed his mind.

* * *

It was later, a few months after Will had been brought into the program, that it was Robot, Will, and Spider going down to the nearest planet that the Jupiter 2 was in the orbit of. He had recently been taken out of stasis for the tenth time that following year. The Jupiter was kept in orbit as the duo used the space pod to make their small exploration planet side. Spider wandered through the area, environmental suit deactivated, his hood lowered, dressed in casual wear that fit to his modified body.

He traveled through the forest with Robot not far behind him. Spider paused in his tracks once seeing a short woman struggling against a large yet thin tree. She stopped, ceasing to scream, staring up toward him in a Greek outfit, her hair finely tidied. And yet, she was exotic and well dressed for the occasion with a long cut on each apart of her dress, with her figure decorated in golden bracelets with scripture that he recognized from period pieces in holomovies.

"One moment, madame."

Spider slid off his gloves then slashed them off.

"All your troubles will be over momentarily." Spider said.

He slashed at the binds with speed until they were gone replaced by nothingness and he struck the bands instead.

"You may go, now." Spider dismissed her.

The woman knelt down, to her knees, bowed before him then he rolled his eyes.

"This is not necessarily." He helped her up as Robot came behind him. "You are very gracious but I am not one of your Gods."

She stared at him then tilted her head looking at him curiously.

"Do you not understand?" Spider said. "I will show you something that you shall understand plainly."

He hissed, lunging his head forward, extending his neck then she ran off with a shriek into the forest.

"Who was that, Doctor Smith?" Will asked.

Spider turned in the direction of Will.

"Virgin sacrifice. Dressed in white. For the Gods I can only assume. Cruel people who pretended to be Gods long ago." He shook his hand. "Let's walk away. Quickly." he speed walked away the direction that he had been walking only moments ago in. "Before her people come this way to check for her corpse."

"Oh no." Will said. "We just made things worse for her."

"Nonsense, my dear boy!" Spider replied with a loud baa. "She may be smart and lay low."

"If I were her, I wouldn't just lay low after being thrust to being killed and torn away from my family," Will said. "I would go straight back to them."

"Unfortunately, this virgin sacrifice applies to women." Spider said. "I trust that women know what is best to do after being rescued compared to young boys who don't know what to do. Her mother may have taught her all that she needs to know after being rescued quite unexpectedly."

Spider paused looking behind Will.

"Where is the boob head?" Spider asked.

He raised his head up, concerned, then his features changed as he saw warriors.

"Last that I saw, he was right behind me." Will replied.

Spider growled then handed Will the spare arm brace device.

"Put this on," Spider said.

"What is this?" Will asked.

"Force-field generator for the entire body," Spider replied then pressed the button as it slipped on to his arm. "He needs some help getting out of this mess."

Spider sprinted on ahead of Will through the landscape then the teenager chased after him.

"Doctor Smith, stop!" Will cried.

Spider tackled down one of the warriors and grinned.

"No need to fear, Smith is here!" Spider said.

A warrior tossed a spear at Spider.

"Doctor Smith!" Robot cried, waving his lone unoperational large claw in the air. "Danger! Danger!"

The spear flung off his figure landing to the ground with little show or decoration from it.

"God!" A Greek warrior shouted.

"Not!" Smith said then turned around facing the men. With a single fell swoop, he tossed the men away - using his left two arms - from the machine then turned toward Robot, "Back to the Space Pod, you bumbling bucket of bolts!" he motioned after Will with his head. "And take the Robinson boy with you!"

He flung another row of troops away from him sending them flying aside and knocked a few of them against several trees. Robot was damaged, visibly, coming toward Will with holes in his chassis grabbing on to his shirt tugging him away, "Doctor Smith!" in alarm, as the Greeks were busy trying to subdue the creature. Spider fled away from the direction of the Space Pod and Robot and Will.

He fled down the path with a laugh then tripped over a tree branch and had only enough time to react with widened eyes.

"Shit!"

Spider fell then rolled down a hill, damaging the forearm equipment, but the force-field was knocked out. Spider hit his head against a rock with a loud yelp then landed in a valley on his side. The Greeks came down behind him then aimed their spears toward the fallen creature. From the distance, Will and Robot watched, using the safety of the thick woods looking on toward their surrounded friend. Robot restrained Will from lunging after Spider with his arm wrapped around the teenager's waist.

"Halt!" The woman from earlier said, coming to the man's aid, holding up her hand. "Deity saved me!"

The Greeks lowered their attention down toward the unconscious man then withdrew their weapons, only instead, binding his wrists, ankles, and arms together in such a way that was painful to attempt a escape. The rope was done in such a way that it wrapped him in a mummified way up to his neck with a lowered head snoring away being dragged away from the scene by horseback. Robot dragged Will away from the scene as the teenager struggled against the machine.

* * *

"Robot, go back!" Will demanded once the door behind him closed.

Robot wheeled toward the front console then pressed the button.

"Negative." Robot said.

"Robot, if we leave him down there, then he is going to eat people and infect other people with his infection!"

"It would not be wise to get involved at this point." Robot turned toward Will as the space pod flew into the sky heading toward the Jupiter 2. "They would not believe us. Not without proof. And we would become Gods to them."

"Then we just leave him to infect a entire civilization and destroy it in less than ten years?"

"Doctor Smith is not going to infect them," Robot said. "He knows better. He wears gloves. He never takes them off when we are planet side."

"How do you know that?"

"They make his wrists itch and he has some glove burns from wearing them too long." Robot said. "Allergies."

"Oh." Will then frowned, his brows furrowing together, putting his hands on his hips and tilting his head. "Do you mean to say. . ."

"That we spend hours at a time exploring," Robot said. "Affirmative."

"Just exploring?"

"I spend time collecting items and wrapping them up," Robot said. "Then freezing them for reaching the Alpha Centauri system for your family to pick up."

"That is really thoughtful for you," Will said. "What did you get me?"

"Still a gift." Robot said.

Robot turned back toward the console.

"And if my assumptions are correct; they are going to sacrifice him. Somewhere close by." Robot changed the subject of conversation. "Or could be somewhere in the city limits. This version of Greek culture may have a different method of sacrifice."

"We need a mole." Will said.

"Negative," Robot turned toward Will. "We do not."

"Why?"

"You are a human," Robot reminded.

"And they look human!" Will said as it dawned on him leaning off the wall and his eyes widened at the revelation. "Robot-"

"You can easily blend in if we use the uniform synthesizer and get some intel regarding the sacrifice," Robot said.

"Do they have human blood?" Will asked.

"Affirmative," Robot said.

"I can blend in," Will said. "Then we can get out of this system."

"My advanced sensors tell me they are going to a nearby city." Robot reported.

"Hmm," Will said looking down then raised his head up. "Robot, how similar are the Greeks uniforms to the Earthly ones?"

"Their warriors were dressed in accordance to fashion extrapolated from images regarding the Earth version of their era." Robot said. "Lots. Lots. Lots of folds."

* * *

Spider stirred awake, restrained, his head aching. He was in a dark and muggy cell as his eyes shifted from side to side as he struggled in the contraption. He looked around and sat there for awhile studying the rest of the room. He scanned the room observing there were skeletons strewn about hanging by a thread to the shackles and some of them were in careless position.

A plate was slid out the lower half of the door and his eyes sparked with glee and his stomach rumbled. He flopped over his side then began to crawl toward the food on his knees dragging himself forward using his head to drag himself forward. He was too determined and focused at first to notice the upper half of the door open revealing widened eyes as he came closer to the doorway.

"One of the Gods have fallen."

They were speaking in whispers over the sounds of him eating.

"This God may require to be sacrificed to be sent back up where they came."

The eyes darted from side to side watching him bite into the plate.

"Very much."

Spider slid forward a piece of the plate and began to attempt cutting through the binds at the sharpened edge as he proceeded to eat the stale meat and day old bread.

"Very healthy."

They exchanged a glance.

"Then we do the soul ceremony, yes?"

The high priest lifted her head up.

"No. Too quick. We do it very slowly. We do the organ removal." The male priest became horrified glancing toward the tall woman. "That way the God of lizards learns not to fall and Their intrusion on the mortal realm will be forgiven."

"That is a cruel way of sending the God up." her counterpart advised. "We should restrain them, tie them to magma rock, and toss them into the lake to be eaten by the pet of Thunder."

"Your way is painless," The high priestess said. "And does not teach them a lesson. They would also get the last laugh. And come back."

Her counterpart gave it some thought.

"Your point is clear, High Priestess." Her counterpart said. "And very thorough."

Spider lifted his head up then lunged at the door knocking them back.

"Guards!" The high priest called staggering back.

Spider was arched when he charged forward and the two high priests fled out of the way. The door fell down beneath his feet. Spider gazed from side to side watching as the guards filled the corridor surrounding him and launched a combined attack on him. With his movements, they were able to tear holes in his articles of clothing, grabbing on the spears that tore his clothing then breaking it in half and dropping it to the ground. He grasped on a fine long spear then yanked it forward.

His arms untucked - revealing a secondary fold of the sleeve - grasping on the pile of spears then the men began to take several steps back away from him. Spider stepped forward with a growl then knocked them aside with a single blow sending them fall falling to the ground. He lifted his head up focusing his attention upon the squirming high priests in the corner of the room.

"Thank you for the meal." Spider waved. "Nice evening, my dears."

Spider began to walk away from them.

"Can't stay for your sacrifice to your Gods." Spider said. "Watching sacrifices was never a long lasting past time."

Spider began to make a run for it as his instincts were screaming at him by each minute that passed.

Something was very wrong as he noticed a servant hold their hands up and raise it up at the same time that a wall appeared across.

_Something is wrong! _His guts screamed_. Something is horribly wrong!_

He rolled his eyes then lunged his head forward, fangs exposed, biting into the wall, repeatedly. Spider chewed quickly with deliberate speed. He chewed a large section out of the wall then proceeded to run through corridor as the warriors dropped their spears with a tremble as he looked on, judgingly, then passed by them and they fell over in a heap. The officers fell down to the floor falling unconscious. Spider stalked by the crowd then watched as a another was summoned down.

Three short men were whistling away constructing a new part of the cell as he passed by them knocking over a ladder and bricks fell on the one at the left then the left one tapped on their friend's shoulder then jabbed them in the eyes after a short trick knocking them down causing the entire wall they were working on to fall behind them. Spider looked over then smiled tilting his head and snickered at the source of the commotion the men were making and the cell block was starting to collapse with each struggle to start putting things right again.

Spider bolted through the corridor and found another wall that was eight feet away. He proceeded to do this over and over and over for a number of times before he fell to his knees clasping on to his stomach that was bloated. He fell down to his knees leaning forward feeling unwell. He flopped over to his back then placed a hand on his stomach feeling lethargy gripping upon him. He curled into a ball turning on to his side hearing a rumble around him and dust fell down beside his head. The high priestess stood over him then knelt down to his level.

"What strange gloves you have," the high priestess said.

With a sudden burst of energy, Spider swatted her hand away.

"Don't you dare or you shall threaten everyone you hold dear to your heart!"

The high priestess withdrew her hand, catching what he meant, then smiled.

"No matter," the high priestess said. "Your power will be gone with this sacrifice and it will become a memorabilia."

_As it should be._ Were one of Spider's last thoughts as he was dragged under.

Then it became crystal clear as his dulled blue eyes widened.

_Wait a minute!_ And he was out.

* * *

Will had a plan set out for what he intended to do in how he came to the rescue.

Only after he snooped around and did some investigating where they were going to do the ceremony.

It wasn't one of his most elaborate ideas.

It was a far simple idea.

He changed from dark clothing into bright clothing that was white and orange with a dark brown cloak - himation- laced with a brighter orange theme. It was odd, being in such bright colors, instead of the usual dark and dreary ones. He looked at himself and when he did, he saw a young man of Ancient Greece looking back at him, with a smile. And, looked quite better in brighter colors.

He left the dressing room.

"Are you ready, Will?" Robot asked.

Will nodded.

"Dad is not going to believe this story." Will said.

Robot paused.

"He won't." Robot said. "Tell him once we get there."

"Oh boy, I will!" Will said, with a laugh.

* * *

Spider awoke slouched in a cage with a stomach ache.

"Oh dear, I ate too much!" He clasped on his stomach then looked down observing that he still bore his gloves. "The courtesy of them is very generous."

He looked down observing that he wasn't in dark clothing but donned a black and bright green chiton that contrasted against the main theme of the outfit. He slouched up against the steel cold bars of the cage looking out between the bars. His hands were unbound as his eyes felt heavy. He looked up observing figures that were on the rooftops watching him being wheeled down the passageway of the street.

The sound of laughter, gasps, and children playing echoed in the area that was noisy as a city street. Asides to being on a alien planet, being stared at by spectators, it felt as if he were on Earth. The familiarity were too bittersweet to swallow so he stared them back with a heated glare that frightened some of the men and the women stepping back. He looked on ahead spotting large cattle then was taken back. The cattle were strange massive rhinos coated in fur standing side by side trudging forward in the wide city limits.

He waited this way as the horses trudged their way into the landscape then paused in front of a great staircase. The door flew open then a rope was tugged and he was pulled back out of it with a yelp landing on to the ground then watched a ring attached to a stick come over him. He closed his eyes flipping on to his back feeling a thick ring against his neck and he was yanked back in a cruel manner.

With some trepidation, Spider was forced up to his feet, his shoulders feeling cold, instinctively, he lowered his two arms and rubbed his shoulders as the onlookers stared in awe. He was yanked forward by the same ring attached to a long pole being handled by a muscular bearded man with shackles that appeared to have grown into his ankles. Over cheering, he was yanked forward - presumably a volunteer gladiator -, away from his place of restraint.

"What in the heavens do you think you're doing, my dear sir?"

Spider's question was largely ignored then it came back flooding to him then his eyes flashed open in horror.

"Please, stop!" Spider plead. "Spare me! Spare me! I beg of you!"

Spider was yanked up the staircase with each pull.

"Please!"

Spider was tugged up further and further as he searched around for a means of escape, anyway, however way. He stared on with a tremble then came after roughly hours of climbing with his resistance to the top of the temple. It was his way of delaying the inevitable giving them a struggle. Giving the Robot and Will time to find them. His stomach ache had faded but he felt little energy was available to provide what they wanted; a show of force.

He had his doubts about the teenager but little when it came to the machine that tried. He hadn't shown up with the space pod in hand in the sky. He had searched on the way up for the space pod, desperate, frightened. It became crystal clear to Spider. Robot had to have come to a impasse. Robot could not play God. It was part of his prime directives in his protocols that had been installed centuries ago. Little that could help him. Spider's mind wandered to the present; his bones ached with exhaustion from the fight. His waters feeling the sting from pained crying and couldn't cry if he wanted to.

He looked on spotting the woman from earlier standing above the slab of rock in a unique elaborate garment and painting on her face holding a dagger in one hand that wasn't conventional but double edged, twisted, and full of elaborate holes that had rounded holes with small sharp tips beneath them making up for the lack of a flat surface. Spider felt his heart leap into his throat as he looked to be sacrificed by the woman he rescued. And suddenly, all that exhaustion aching in his neck, hands, wrists, and joints faded away.

"No! No! No!" Spider cried stepping back. _I want to live! I want to LIVE_! "It can't be! It mustn't be!"

He was shoved forward then the gravity of the situation fully hit him as he was yanked forward by the muscular Gladiator. _ This is the end. Is it?_ He was saddened by the thought then resignation and acceptance befell upon him. _This is it._

He looked appalled, horrified, back in the direction that he had came. He looked back toward the berth then faced the crowd with a grimace holding on to his trembling hands. His hands stopped trembling as determination and intent replaced his grimace. _ I won't go with a undignified whimper. _ He made his moves in a little less than a second but one that was clearly to be registered as defiance and will to survive fueled him.

Spider grasped a hold on to the stick then swung the Gladiator to the berth with a sudden burst of energy for a desperate bid to survive. He turned around then knocked down the guards behind him down the staircase and they came to a pause supported by the onlookers and he ran through the crowd that was behind the guards. A member unexpectedly reached their long leg out in his path then he fell down to the stairs.

He came to a pause by a waiting pair of large sandals on his side then everyone looked up to see a young man with dark red hair. The young man knelt down to the side of the creature then checked for the pulse. Spider's eyes began to open, his vision adjusting, then stared at the young man above him and recognition flashed in his eyes that didn't appear to be so dulled for a single moment.

"William? . . ." Smith asked, puzzled. "Why do you look so grown up?"

The young man above him froze, surprised, then watched as the figure fainted in the mist of his shock. He didn't have a answer to provide. Will had one, but, he didn't have the time to deliver it. For a single moment, a surreal moment, instead of a monster that he had only seen six years ago, he had seen a older man beneath the mutated alien facial features of what had once been a complete human being but looked older than how he had last seen him.

The crowd absorbed the creature back in then the young man's hands rolled up into a fist then he held his wrist up.

"Robot, start the plan." Will said.

"Affirmative." Robot replied.

"ETA?" Will asked.

"Five minutes." Robot said. "Robot out."

Will lowered his wrist then looked up toward the top of the temple.

"Hang on for five minutes, Doctor Smith."

* * *

Spider was dropped on to the berth then the clothing in his chest was torn apart.

His figure was draped carelessly from above and his eyes struggled to open.

He spotted a large cloud lowering on to the top of the temple and relaxed with a smile.

_I'm going to be spared! They're sparing me! I am going to live, after all!_

From above, a shimmer of dark clouds began to appear, as the heavily re-modified Jupiter 2 lowered over the temple.

"The God will be sent back whence they came!"

A stroke of a laser beam erupted from the bottom of the ship striking down a tower with a loud crash.

"The Gods!"

The blade was dropped as the tension was slipping off Spider's figure and he started to snore.

"The Gods are unhappy?" Another strike and another tower fell over to the horror of the onlookers. "We are only doing what you have taught us!"

Another tower fell with a loud crash.

"Gods? Gods!"

The people screamed in horror as trees were knocked down and burned in community centers.

"Immortals have no place in mortal affairs!"

The priestess in charged look around in horror then retreated as the members of the staff went inside of the temple. People fled into the tunnels leading into the stairs. The laser blast show continued for another fifteen minutes until the lone man on the staircase spoke softly into the wrist, watched by a child, then climbed up the stairs.

He slid the creature up to his feet, their figure hunched over, their arms on his shoulder and made his descent down the stairs with the partially conscious and loudly snoring God by his side to the shock of the civilians. They watched the young man go into a secluded tunnel underneath a fallen tree and vanish before their eyes. And he never came back.

* * *

"Robot . . ." Will said by the door to the cell watching the figure rest.

"Yes?" Robot asked, concerned.

"He called me _William_," Will said. "You're close."

"I have noticed," Robot said.

"You're really close to bringing him back as a whole. He was nearly there to my fingertips." he leaned himself forward putting a a hand on the frame to the doorway of the room. "Just another layer to go and he will be back."

Robot twirled toward Will.

"That layer is very deep." Robot admitted.

Will looked toward Robot then smiled.

"I believe in you, old friend." Will said. "If there is anyone who can pull it off. . . It's you."

Silently, they walked away from the doorway leaving the force-field down to the cell.

* * *

"I MADE BROWNIES!" Spider announced with pride.

"Robot," Will looked toward the machine beside him. "What kind of brownies are these?"

"Marijuana brownies." Robot reported.

"No." Will said. "I can't have these." he shook his hands. "I am too young for it."

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes you can." Spider said then glared aside toward Robot. "And I made non-high cookies for your family when they wake up." He looked down toward the tray. "Less exciting than these."

"I rather not get high." Will said.

"You will enjoy it." Spider slid it forward. "Just have one. I will over see you being high."

"If I have one, will you please not cook it for my parents?" Will asked.

"I give you my word, cross my heart swear to die, and promise to drop off the building if I do so." Spider said.

"Doctor Smith." Will said, exasperated.

"Have one. Pretty please? With a space cherry on top?"

Cautiously, Will took one.

"Did you wear gloves?" Will looked up toward Spider

"I am not senile, Will." Spider replied. "I know better. Don't want to get myself everywhere!"

"Okay." Will said.

"Even as difficult. Pretty please?" It was as if looking at the ghost of someone he used to know. Someone who used to call him 'William'. Someone who just called him by what he wanted to be called. He had a genuine innocent but pleading smile back at him. But this ghost was starting to act as a old friend. "If you get wasted, the booby and I will supervise you."

Spider looked down with a grimace toward the place then back up toward Will, sheepishly.

"I hate to stare at it for days at a time while it is frozen until anyone can properly eat it." Spider said.

"Temptation is strong in this one." Robot reported.

"If you were a organic being then so would you!" Spider said. "Having to eat chicken skin, oh dear, the taste of it, the softness, the texture of it-can drive a man to faint!"

"Just two," Will took a bite. "Hmm. That's actually delicious. Thoroughly delicious."

Spider beamed back.

* * *

They all get wasted.

And crash against a craft made of a entire constellation.

Spider checks out and refuses to exit his chamber at the sheer impossibility.

The sight was breath taking but it was annoying beyond any sound the humans had heard.

Robot detected it was meaninglyless and lacked any form of intelligence or database for a alien civilization.

Robot has no choice but to freeze the slowly being rebuilt former personality as the man is going to break apart from the noise the creatures are stirring. The noise was driving him mad, scraping against the walls, screeching over the noise, hitting his head on the wall until he couldn't hear anything, until he dug his fingers so far in he couldn't hear, and he was, in his words, "This is sweet havana." It was Will who pressed the button then retreated his hand with a tremble.

"We're not going down that road," Will said then faced the machine closing his hand in a fist. "That constellation is a bunch of nanobots and we're going to **destroy** it."

"Affirmative."

* * *

And they did. This was performed with a controlled explosion that would cause them to repair - for infinite - using a space probe. As the world outside of them were chipped away by the forces of space until they were a small insignificant ball that turned into space dust according to Robot's simulators regarding the future of the constellation. A fate that benefited for someone who brought a uncomfortable situation to begin unfolding. And almost drove everyone to madness.

"Good." Was all Will said in reply to Robot's report.

There was fury behind the teenager's eyes.

"I am glad whoever made that machine has gone extinct." Will said.

"Will, you don't know they are." Robot protested.

"Robot, you said so yourself." Will said. "That noise wasn't in your intergalactic library of language, entertainment, and media." He walked aboard the stasis paid. "Can you tell Doctor Smith not to make any more of those brownies until we get there?"

"Affirmative." Robot said.

"That was nice." Will said in a small but low voice.

"What part?" Robot asked.

"The hours we were high before finding _that_." Will stepped aboard the platform then smiled turning toward Robot. "I'll have a good dream with this."

"You will, Will." Robot agreed. "Good night."

Robot pressed a button and the teenager was fast asleep.

* * *

Robot waited until they passed the gradually degrading strange constellation to leave the bridge. He arrived to the cell door of the chamber then slid out a crystal. Spider remained standing in the room without being kept up by time or a supernatural force with a tremble. He was covering the small holes where his ears had been for a full moment with two long metal pieces between his fingers. His dulled blue eyes opened then he looked toward Robot then smiled back, weakly, but were full of relief. Slowly, Spider sank down to the floor.

Robot turned off the force-field then slipped the mutated man's figure on to his back and wheeled up levels levels of the ship until the med bay. He removed the fallen yet dead fingernails out of the ear drums and repaired the wounds with a ear drum regenerator. He brought the man back into the chamber then dropped undressed him and carefully laid him down on to the bed. He slipped the heavy thick blankets on the trembling figure's shoulders then wheeled out of the room.

* * *

John and Maureen's pods unexpectedly stirred. The couple came out of the large crystal pods then exchanged a glance with each other hearing the sounds of animals around them. They exchanged a glance, confused, puzzled, then began to make their descent down the ship. They cleared deck from deck. They heard familiar distant whirring as their footsteps trailed further and took a turn to the corner. Robot was beside the panel to prisoner's cell.

"Robot," John said. "Where did you get those noises?"

"Field trips," Robot said. "Little ones."

"Did this trips delay the journey?" John asked.

"Negative," Robot said. "I have shortened the journey by eight hundred ninety-four years."

"Eight hundred ninety-four years!" Maureen said.

"Affirmative," Robot replied. "We are also well on our way to the year 2058."

"That close. . ." John said. "Whatever you have done to get us there, keep it your secret."

"Why?" Robot asked.

"We like to be in the dark regarding how you got there," Maureen said.

"So far you have done a very good job," John said as Robot wagged his large claw. "You are a very good Rambler Crane."

"Haven't needed to wake us up at all from problems complicating the ship," Maureen agreed.

"You got a A+ from us," John said. "Keep up what you have been doing."

"Why are you at the prison deck?" Maureen asked.

"Visiting." Robot admitted.

"And looking back at what you used to have," Maureen said.

"That, too." Robot said. "Doctor Smith is in front of me. But, he is not all the way there."

John peered in the room spotting the creature in the dark cloak resting on the bed with their arms folded glaring heatedly toward his direction snarling, frozen in time, shoulders hunched. John turned toward Robot, sadly, wistfully then looked toward Maureen as memories of the last six years crossed his mind. All the words that had been shared and words that shouldn't have been shared. Everything they had done leading up to this point was allowed to happen.

A human that became a creature had slowly exited their lives over time then exited completely at the planet Hastia. Detached from them, lacking a relationship, going their own way, not knowing where they were and not having a single care for that. Perhaps, John realized, they should have cared about his well being as a whole instead of a select few people being ordered to care.

Maureen put her hand on the side of his shoulder.

"Let's wake up the children and have a party." Maureen said. "Even see the hydroponics, my love."

John smiled, looking down upon her, affectionately then took her hand.

"I like the sounds of that." John said.

John and Maureen wandered away far enough that Robot slid out the crystal.

"-Juliet and Romeo were _children_, you bubble headed booby!" Smith got up to his feet throwing his hands in the air. "That romance was doomed!" he zapped over in front of the door holding his hands out. "**DOOMED**!" his hands slipped into fists. "Doomed from the start!"

"They were teenagers," Robot replied. "That adaption of Romeo and Juliet by the Vaskans was distasteful but the production was easily admirable."

"AAAAADDDDDDDDDDDMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRAAAAAAAAAAAAABLE!"

Smith wailed turning away in disgust and appalled.

* * *

It was much later as the Robinsons lived a full day admiring the animals that Robot had gathered as a zoo. Their precious laughter was enough to convince Robot that everything he had done to preserve them and the course was justified. He tapped on the Major's shoulder then was gestured out of the bridge. The door closed behind them then Robot sighed lifting his arm up as he prepared to release prized information then turned toward them.

"Major West." Robot said. "I can suppress the alien spider half."

"That is a nice joke, Robot." West said.

Robot whirred toward West looming over him.

"I am not joking." Robot said.

West paused.

"You're dead serious." West noted.

"Yes." Robot confirmed.

"How long have you been working on it?" West asked.

"One. Hundred. thirty. five. years." Robot's voice became edged, furious, and angry. "When we get to Alpha Prime A, I like you to do me a small favor."

"Anything." West said.

"Do not repeat those last three years." Robot said. "Any of those actions can prompt him to stop taking the medication and become the monster. It will be a very a very delicate situation, that can determine the future of the colony."

West was silent as it sunk down what he was referring to.

"So no insulting him about his alien half." West said. "And the mission is a success. Is that right?"

Robot bobbed his helm.

"Affirmative." Robot said.

West nodded in agreement.

"What have you been doing in the mean time?" West asked. "Being his therapy counselor?"

"I am talking him out of the shell that you and everyone else brought him into acting so afraid of him," Robot said. "The visitors we have crossed paths with. . . They have done some good around him. Even when he was a monster, they treated him like a person, they were not afraid of him, even in his current state of being. They didn't mind."

"Have you told the women?" West asked. "They are the ones who were around him every step of the way when it came to his health."

"I will." Robot said. "Some days, I wonder: why were the Robinsons accepted?"

"I don't know," West shrugged. "If you ask me the professor was decided to lead the effort after he discovered the planet. The whole volunteer thing was just a bunch of bullshit."

"This makes sense." Robot said. "When I see you again. You will have to apologize to him."

"Apologize? Me? No." West shook his head. "_He_ has to apologize to me!"

"Major West." Robot said, incredulously.

"Alright, alright." West shook his hands. "I will apologize. Then he will have to apologize to me for all the shit he pulled-"

"Doctor Smith does not recall the 'shit' he pulled after you and the professor installed the bars," Robot elaborated. "That was someone else."

"Oh." West said then he was quiet for a long moment before replying. "So a split personality did all that?"

"Affirmative." Robot said. "It was a coping mechanism for him. This is his second chance at living a human life once we reach the planet."

"If he loses it?" West asked. "What then?"

"You cannot wait as long as I did for him." Robot said. "I can."

"That is a very long time." West said.

"I gave up on him, once. I am will not be doing that in the foreseeable future." Robot said. "I will make sure he lives his natural life span."

"Robot, that may take centuries if he has several false starts." West said.

"He is my friend." Robot said.

"Robot. . ." West said.

"I will have a rehabilitation ship prepared for that purpose alone." Robot said. "In the event that everyone reacts badly should a set of circumstances cause Doctor Smith to relapse and he retreads into the shell. It will be difficult to get him out of it but I will do it."

"That's a commitment." West said.

Robot was silent for a short moment.

"It is." Robot agreed. "That is what love is? Isn't it? What you humans call? To work on constantly and make sure it grows?"

"Yeah." West said.

West returned into the bridge joining the others back into stasis.

* * *

"I will be performing the test trial for the suppressors starting after I refreeze you."

"Oh, when, Robot?" Will asked turning toward the machine once inside the tube.

"Starting today." Robot chirped.

"Okay, Robot." Will said. "Can you make a timelapse video for me?"

"Affirmative." Robot said.

"I want to see if it does work." Will said.

"So do I." Robot said.

"See you in the morning." And Will smiled back at Robot.

Robot pressed a button and the young man became frozen in the crystal.

* * *

The suppressors were slipped in the meal of the older man each day that passed and he wasn't quite aware of it. Days passed with Robot recording it and keeping it in file then selecting few clips then slip it into a program. He watched as the older man's scaled appearances were slowly changing, thanks in part to the cameras in the crystal, the spider abdomen was itching away day by day and week by week.

Month by month that went on scanning the man's progress. The progress was significant, his ears were growing back, eyebrows were slowly growing on the eyebrow ridges, and he was complaining about his neck. "Ow, my neck! I slept on the wrong side of the damn bed!" and Robot gave him stronger painkillers.

Then he was feeling pain in his arms, "My arms don't feel so well. Feel they are not in the right position."

Again, Robot increased the dosage of the painkillers.

And Spider ceased to complain.

He stopped moving with four legs and moved completely into two legs with two arms instead of four arms.

He rubbed his forearms as his skin was slowly turning to pink before his eyes as each week waned on.

The pain had grown into aching that didn't bother him as much with the power of the painkillers.

* * *

"Okay, Robot." Will said. "How is it it going?"

"See for yourself," Robot said shifting toward the astronavigator that displayed the holographic video.

Will watched the video play.

"Robot. . ." Will said. "It's working."

"It appears so," Robot said. "This is management. Containment. Quarantine. Simulations and several tests have indicated it can last for seventy years."

"A human life span." Will said.

"If he lives that long." Robot said.

"I can take a guess and say that he will live that long," Will said.

"You are leaking, Will." Robot turned toward Will and bobbed his helmet up.

"It's alright, Robot." Will said wiping off a tear with a sleeve. "I am just happy."

"He will be human the next time that you wake up," Robot said. "And best of all, he will be Doctor _Zachary_ Smith."

"A third chance at a friendship." Will said. "I dunno about that, Robot. It ended badly then and it will end badly now."

"Death will only make it end badly, Will." Robot said. "My sensors tell me this much."

"Robot, I like to go to stasis." Will said. "Okay?"

"Okay." Robot said.

Will's facial features softened.

"Good night, Robot."

Robot pressed a button then watched as the smoke become crystals and the teenager closed his eyes becoming consumed in the diamond. Robot turned away then wheeled in front of the window to the starship watching as the stars passed by the Jupiter 2 and waited, patiently, for the instruments to report a solar system.

* * *

"This way,"

"Where are we going?"

"Your gift."

"Hm. Long as it isn't another recycled bout of my waste."

"It is not. And maybe it is."

"Oh sweet heavens!"

Spider entered the chamber with Robot. He observed there being a living room then looked around, warily, searching for hidden consoles and began to turn everything inside out. Every so often, Spider would say, "I am getting closer to your gift!". Robot remained silent over the matter watching him going from bedroom to the living room to the bathroom. He looked behind the curtains, inside the cushions, then lowered the cushions quite startled.

"Where is my gift?" Spider asked.

"This is your gift." Robot said. "When you look human enough. I have put your plague on the wall beside it."

Spider looked around the room.

"Smaller than my prison cell." Spider said. "It'll do. At least, I have a large window."

"And there is a caveat to the gift." Robot said.

"What is it?" Spider turned toward Robot.

Robot's helm twirled.

"I am not going to freeze you after tonight."

"Oh, but tomorrow you are."

"No."

"The day after that?"

"No."

"The day after that?"

"Next week?"

"No."

"I don't understand."

"We are twenty months away from Alpha Prime A." Robot said. "To convince you that I am on your side. . I will never freeze you within time for long periods of time. If it is, it is to preserve you from a threat inside the Jupiter 2 and act as a life boat." Spider listened intently as the revelation began to dawn on him. "Should I be unable to neutralize the problem for one reason or another. The bridge of the Jupiter 2 will be ejected first and rendezvous with you."

"Let me grow old?" Spider hissed stepping back. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I care about you, dearly." Robot said. "I love you. I want the best for you. And you are fifty in your standard time, Doctor Smith. You are old."

"I am not ready for this fine, clean, and heavenly place," Spider began to walk past Robot toward the doorway. "It repulses me!"

"When you feel ready to transition to this room then the room is yours." he waved his claw around and the spider paused with his back to Robot standing at the doorway. "Time will be frozen to preserve the qualities of this room until that day comes around."

Robot wheeled forward then gently laid a claw on Smith's shoulder.

"Merry Christmas, Doctor Smith."

Smith flicked the claw off his shoulder then walked out and Robot wheeled out quickly.

"Oh," Smith sneered. "Don't trust me outside a room that can be frozen?"

"Yes!" Robot said, pressing a few buttons on the console and the material was back where it had been before they entered. "Don't get me started how you froze me in your cell -" he whirred toward the mutated man with his arms folded. "**FOR EIGHT MONTHS**!"

"You started it!" Smith argued pointed toward him.

"Did not!" Robot turned toward the Smith.

"Did too!" Smith argued going down the hallway,

"Did not!" Robot shot back

"Did too!" Smith shouted.

"Did not, you arrogant son of a cuckoo." Robot retorted.

"You did too!" Smith retorted turning on his heels with a flash of rage facing Robot then cooly responded before resuming the path he was headed, "Mind your brazenly small narrow language or you'll lose what little your friends that you have."

Robot bobbed his helm up then chased after Smith.

"I did not!"

This argument continued well into New Years - partially because of space pirates boarding their ship in the middle of the argument and sent the ship a little off course - where it concluded with security tapes to settle the argument.

Estimated time of arrival quickly became December 25th, 2058.

And they lived _happily squabbling_ **ever** **after. **

* * *

**A/N**

Shinedown - Through the ghost.

Shinedown - I'll follow you.

Disturbed - the light

Terminator 1 theme.

All of which played a hand in this interesting but bizarre novel.

Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
